Carry on Wayward Son
by supernaturaldarkangel252018
Summary: Alec and Ben are kids at Manticore when they run into each other, and then everything changes.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! If you're reading my other stories, don't worry I'm not giving up on them. I wrote this a while ago and decided it's time to post it. It is not part of the Family series if you've read that one, it's something completely different. I hope you all like it!_

* * *

He was nobody. He was just a number in a sea of other numbers just like him. Everyone was the same and he was no exception. There were tweaks in each of their DNA sequences, different animals and different combinations, but they were still raised the same and they were expected to be the same. They were soldiers. He was built to follow orders and to be the best.

They were standing in line. He didn't know why and he wasn't allowed to ask. Talk without permission- punished. Step out of line- punished. Follow the rules, don't talk and you won't get punished. He had a lot of problems following the rules, but he was used to the punishment. He should try to follow the rules more, but he could handle the punishments. They didn't want to permanently damage him because then he would be useless.

He had no friends. It was a lonely existence, but it was the only thing he knew and it was every man for himself here. He had a unit, but he watched his own back. It was up to him to keep himself safe, not his unit. He only had a unit to complete missions, not to have friends. The only person he could trust was himself.

No one went out of their way to help him and he did the same to try to stay out of trouble. Everyone kept to themselves and kept their eyes down. As long as he wasn't looking then he wouldn't see, and as long as he didn't see what was happening he wouldn't get in trouble. They weren't people and trying to help anyone else was a bad idea. All he had to do was stay out of trouble and follow the rules.

But he'd never been very good at following the rules.

He didn't know why, but he couldn't help glancing up. He was startled to see a boy, identical to him, staring back. Thanks to his training he managed to keep his face clear of any emotion. The boy kept his gaze locked on him as if searching his face like that would tell him who he was. He wanted to laugh and tell the strange boy that he was nobody. They were all nobodies, and searching him would tell the other boy nothing.

The guards called them to attention and the boy looked away. His line turned to leave. He was supposed to look forward, but he couldn't help his wandering eyes. He zeroed in on the back of the boy's neck. His barcode read 493. His eyes widened slightly; his own barcode ended in 494.

He wanted to break ranks. He wanted to run to the boy and find out who he was. Why did they look alike? Were they twins? Did he have family? Family was a foreign concept to him, but it sounded good. He'd heard the word somewhere and he wanted it to be true. Maybe he wasn't alone in this world after all. If he had a brother then he wasn't nobody. He would be somebody, or at least, somebody's brother. He would have more of a label than 494; he would be more than just a number.

He couldn't do anything now though. There were too many guards; he'd get caught and punished for sure. He'd have to wait until tonight and come up with a plan to find the boy. It was going to be risky, but he had to find out who the boy was. He had to know if he had a family.

* * *

He had a twin! He knew he'd been missing something, but he hadn't known what it was until he saw the boy identical to himself. He had a brother and he couldn't wait to meet him. He needed to come up with a plan to find the boy and he needed to do it fast.

He wouldn't be able to do this alone though. He needed one of his unit mates to help him out. He couldn't ask Zack. He would shoot this plan down before it even left his mouth. Zack was adamant that they stick together no matter what and risking any one of them for someone else was out of the question. His brother wasn't in their unit, so there was no reason to go find him.

Tinga would say he imagined it. That he made up having a brother because he was lonely. She would say it was a fool's errand and she wouldn't want to get caught for someone she didn't even know. Jondy would sort of go along with him, but then she would try to talk him out of it. She would try to reason with him and get him to change his mind.

Syl and Krit wouldn't want to risk it. They were both cautious and wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves. The others, Zane, Brin, Vada, Kavi, and Seth, wouldn't go unless Zack approved it, and he wasn't going to Zack.

He needed Max. She would understand about wanting to find his brother and she wouldn't care how crazy it sounded. She'd been out of their bunk before too. She had seen what they had done to Jack and come back to report it to them. She would be able to help him find his brother.

He waited until they were back to their bunks before he approached Max. Talking outside of their bunk was too dangerous; here they had a very small amount of privacy, but it would be enough.

Max was sitting cross-legged on her bunk, but she looked up when he walked over. She smiled and greeted, "Hi Ben."

He sat down next to her and didn't waste any time getting right to it. "Max, I need your help. I saw a boy today in line who looked identical to me. I think he's my brother and I want to find him."

Max's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't think she was going to go for this; he wasn't even sure if the boy was his brother or not. The only thing he had to go on was the eyes; they were the same bright green as his own and he'd never seen anyone with those same colored eyes before.

Max nodded after a moment and said, "Ok. What's the plan?"

* * *

He found his boys. After nine years of searching for them he finally found them. His twin boys were prisoners in the sadistic military compound call Manticore in Gillette, Wyoming. It was just luck that he'd found them. He'd been on a hunt and had overheard the locals talking about the compound. No one knew what exactly was out there; it was clouded in secrecy and he just knew this was his first real lead on his boys.

He contacted an old friend, Donald Lydecker. They were military buddies from back in the day. He'd called his friend asking if he knew of any jobs in the area. He needed some money to support his other two boys. It'd been hard ever since Mary had been killed; he hadn't been able to keep a job. It was easy to spin his story for Lydecker; he would do anything to get to his boys. His whole focus was on finding his boys and finding Mary's killer.

Lydecker understood, having also lost his wife. He didn't mention his missing twins; they had been declared dead, but he didn't believe it. They had been alive and he'd held them in his arms before the hospital had taken them away. He and Mary had been told they had both died in the night, but they weren't allowed to see the bodies. His boys were still alive; they had been taken from him and it was his job to find them.

Lydecker set him up with a job in security at the military compound. It was top secret, but Lydecker knew he could keep his mouth shut and do the job. Lydecker had said it wouldn't be as exciting as it was back in the day. The compound ran smoothly and they rarely had any incidents to worry about. He didn't care; it was money and it was his way into the compound.

He'd caught a glimpse of one of his boys after a week on the job. His boy's head was shaved and he had a barcode tattooed on the back of his neck, but he had the brightest green eyes. The same eyes of his missing boys. He knew immediately this young boy was one of his missing sons.

He kept an eye on the boy, unwilling to let him slip away again. But he needed to find his other boy and get them both out of there. He wasn't sure if it was Eric or Hayden, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was Eric. He'd only held them once, but even then their personalities shone through. Eric had been quiet and had looked around the room as he held him, while Hayden wailed and kicked in his arms.

Eric was a quiet boy. He did his training and exercises without a word. His unit mates seemed to like him well enough from what he could tell. Eric did what he was told and never caused any problems.

He worried about his other two sons while he was away, but he knew Dean could take care of Sam. He could trust they would be ok, and if anything did happen, Dean had an emergency number he could reach him at. His main focus was on his twins. But he couldn't wait until they were all together again, until Sam and Dean could meet the boys.

When he finally found Hayden, he nearly blew his whole operation. Hayden stepped out of line and one of the guards pushed him back in place. The boy had retaliated and pushed back. He could clearly see the boy realizing his mistake right after he had done that. The guard raised his fist and hit his boy and it took everything in his power to just stand there and watch. Hayden had gotten back in line after the guard had hit him four times. His boy stared straight ahead like he was supposed to and didn't move another muscle.

He now had confirmation that both of his boys were here. It was time to get them out of this place and take them home.

* * *

His heart was pounding. He'd done some stupid things before, but this one topped the list. If he was caught this time, it would be psy-ops for sure not just a beating. He was doing all of this just because he saw someone that looked like him. And now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure if they really did look all that alike. He'd seen one glimpse of this kid and now he was risking everything just to get more information.

He could really blame Manticore for his inquisitive personality. They're the ones who gave him cat DNA. They really should be expecting him to act on his curiosity. And it was their fault for letting him see the other boy in the first place.

This was his first time sneaking out of his bunk. He wasn't known for following the rules, but he'd never gone this far. Maybe if he did get caught, he could talk his way out of punishment. It sometimes worked, but sometimes blew up in his face and made his punishment worse. If he found a guard with a sense of humor then he would be fine, but the others would make his life miserable.

The halls were quiet; everyone was asleep. It was weird walking around without an escort and without the rest of his unit. He almost felt free, which was a stupid thought because he obviously wasn't free. He didn't even know what that would mean to be free. Freedom meant being outside of Manticore, but there was nothing out there so it was pointless to be free. He shouldn't even be thinking about this because if he went to psy-ops and they read his mind then he'd be screwed.

He didn't know how he was going to find the boy, but he decided to think about that later. For now his main focus was to not get caught. He could sneak around the halls and peek inside rooms to hopefully catch a glimpse of the boy and if he didn't find him tonight then he'd try again tomorrow night and the night after that. He would look until he found the boy that was identical to him.

He walked down the halls on silent feet. The tile beneath his bare feet was cold, but it didn't bother him. It was exciting to walk around without permission; it was like this was an op and he had to find his target without getting caught. It was almost fun.

He peeked inside windows as he walked, but so far there was no sign of the boy.

He had to stop suddenly when he heard footsteps headed his way. They weren't an X5 that much was certain. X5's were silent when they walked and this guy had on boots and was stomping down the halls like he didn't care who heard him. He must be a guard.

He pressed himself against the wall and blended into the shadows. He watched as the guard walked past him. The guard didn't see him and continued on his patrol. He breathed out in relief and started sneaking again.

* * *

Ben let Max lead; she knew her way around better than he did and she was more confident in their search than he was. They waited until everyone had fallen asleep before they snuck out. The door had been locked, but Manticore hadn't put in all of the security measures that they usually had. They weren't worried about them escaping because they knew the transgenics wouldn't risk it.

Max held up her hand to signal for them to stop. A guard walked by without noticing them and they continued after a moment.

He wasn't sure how they were going to find his brother. He didn't know how many transgenics were even here so finding one in particular was going to be next to impossible. Just the chance that they even saw each other was astronomical. But he didn't care how long it took; he was going to find his brother. He didn't know what he would do after that, but it was really just one step at a time right now.

"What are we going to do if we find him?" Max asked, practically reading his mind.

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something," Ben replied. "Maybe we can figure out a meeting spot or we might be able to hide him in our bunk somewhere…"

Max huffed, "I guess we'll just figure it out when we find him."

He nodded and they continued walking. They went down different halls and around many twists and turns. He was thankful for his advanced memory; otherwise he would have no idea how to get back to their bunk. Luckily, he remembered every new direction they took and if he and Max had to split up, he would have no problem finding their bunk.

Max stopped suddenly and he ran into her back. She turned around and he saw panic in her eyes. He looked over her shoulder and saw a guard a few feet in front of them. He turned towards them and it took a moment for him to register what he was seeing.

"Hey!" The guard yelled when he snapped out of his shock at seeing them out of their bunk, wandering the halls.

"Go!" Max yelled.

He didn't need more than that before he took off in the opposite direction of the guard. Max ran close on his heels as they weaved their way further from the guard chasing after them. They quickly pulled away from the guard since he was just an ordinary, but they didn't slow down.

He turned a corner blindly, but he ran right into someone else and fell back in surprise. He heard the person he'd run into grunt before they too fell to the floor. He looked up to see who he had run into, just praying that it wasn't a guard.

His mouth dropped open in surprise when he saw his own eyes staring back at him. He had literally run into his brother.

"It's you!" The other boy exclaimed as he shook himself out of his shock. He stood up and brushed himself off before he went over to Ben and helped him up too. "I was looking for you everywhere!"

"You were looking for me?" Ben asked surprised. "I was looking for you too!"

"We should hide somewhere," Max whispered to them. Ben had almost forgotten she was there; he'd been so focused on his brother.

His brother nodded his agreement. Max grabbed both of their arms and led them over to what appeared to be a supply closet.

"Great, no one will think to look for us in here," his brother said sarcastically once Max closed the door. Max glared at him, but he shrugged back and said, "A supply closet is super original. Absolutely no one ever hides in supply closets."

"I'm already regretting looking for you," Max quipped back.

"I can tell you're gonna be a handful," his brother said with a smirk.

Max's eyes narrowed so Ben stepped forward and asked, "What's your name?"

His brother's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "I don't have a name. I'm X5-494."

"Well we can't call you that," Max said. "It's too much of a mouthful."

"Oh yeah? What do they call you? Bossy?"

"I think your name should be Alec," Max said with a decisive nod. "As in Smart-aleck."

He thought about it for a moment, and then a wide smile started to spread across his face. "I like it. And I will proudly live up to my name."

"I bet you will," Max muttered.

"My name's Ben and that's Max," Ben introduced before Alec could start up their banter again.

"And I'm guessing we're brothers," Alec said.

"Twins probably," Ben said. "Or clones."

"Cool," Alec said with a smile. "I've never had a twin or clone before."

"Me either," Ben said, his own smile growing.

"So how are we going to do this? Are we going to meet here on certain days or do you have another place in mind?" Alec asked.

"We can meet here. I don't think it was too far from my bunk."

"Mine either. Let's meet again tomorrow at 0300 hours," Alec said.

"What if you get caught?" Max asked.

Alec and Ben both looked at her as if just remembering that she was there.

"I don't get caught," Alec replied with a cocky smirk.

Max scowled at him and Alec stuck his tongue out at her in reply. Ben ignored them, "How about we agree to wait for 30 minutes. If you're here and I don't make it then leave and if I'm here and you don't make it then I'll leave. If they catch us we'll probably get off easy the first time so we can try again the next night."

"Deal," Alec agreed.

* * *

 _Hope you like it! If so, let me know so there can be more soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

He had a brother and his brother had become his best friend. His brother changed everything; he had a name now, he had a reason to want things to be different. He didn't want to do the same thing without question anymore. Manticore was keeping him from his brother and that was not ok with him.

Every night he would sneak out of his room and meet Ben in the supply closet. They would talk about anything that popped into their heads. He always talked way more than Ben did, but his brother seemed to enjoy whatever he wanted to say even though most of it wasn't very important. He would go on about the guards and the unfairness of keeping them apart and how lame his other unit mates were. Ben would tell him stories about the Blue Lady and how she kept them safe.

He liked the stories even though he didn't think they were true. He didn't tell Ben that though; Ben seemed to really believe in the Blue Lady, and he didn't want to crush his brother's beliefs.

He snuck down the halls, now very familiar with his route and the guards' patrols. It felt good sneaking down the halls by himself. He didn't like being around his unit anymore; they were dull and boring. None of them talked to him and when he tried to talk to them, they told him to stop. He really liked talking and now that he had someone to talk to, he didn't want to stop.

He made it to the supply closet and quickly closed the door behind him. He scanned the small room for Ben, but was surprised to see that his twin wasn't already there. Usually Ben beat him here every night; it was weird that he was first tonight. He was pretty sure Ben left his bunk as soon as the guards brought them back. He always had to wait until everyone fell asleep before he could sneak out. He was sure that if anyone saw him sneaking around they would tell on him. That would earn them brownie points with the other guards.

He sat down on an empty bucket and waited. He wasn't really a patient kid, but he would wait for Ben to get there. Ben probably just had to wait for a guard to pass by or maybe one of the others in his unit had wanted him to tell them a story.

It had nearly been an hour and Ben still hadn't shown up yet. They had agreed upon waiting 30 minutes, but he just couldn't bring himself to give up on his brother. They had met up every night and he could give Ben a few more minutes to get there.

After another 15 minutes the door to the supply closet finally opened and Ben slipped inside and shut the door behind him.

"Finally," Alec complained, "I was just about to give up on-" He stopped abruptly when he noticed Ben was shaking, his eyes were wide with panic, and his face was whiter than a sheet. "What's wrong? What happened?" Alec asked quickly, running forward and grabbing Ben by the shoulders. "Are you ok?"

Ben nodded that he was and Alec led his brother to the abandoned bucket he had been sitting on earlier. Ben slowly sat down and Alec crouched down in front of him. Something had happened, that much was obvious; he just needed to get Ben to tell him what it was.

"Ben, talk to me. Tell me what happened," Alec begged. He didn't like not knowing what was going on and he wanted to help if he could. He wanted to make everything alright for his brother.

"He shot her…" Ben breathed out, his eyes still wide with panic.

"What?" Alec wasn't sure if he'd heard Ben right or not, and if he had then he needed to know who had shot who.

"He shot her," Ben repeated.

Alec huffed; he hated not knowing and it was annoying that Ben wouldn't get to the point. He had to know what was going on to be able to help. "Just tell me what happened."

"He shot Eva."

At least he got one name this time. "Who shot Eva?"

"Lydecker," Ben whispered.

Alec pulled away slightly from Ben in disbelief. He didn't know who Eva was, but he assumed she was in Ben's unit. But that meant she was an X5 and Lydecker seemed to care about them. He punished them sometimes, but he also looked out for them. It was a weird relationship he had with them, but he would've never shot one of them.

"Lydecker? Are you sure?" Alec asked.

Ben nodded. "Max got the shakes and we tried to hide her. They took Jack away when he got the shakes and we never saw him again so we knew we had to hide her. But one of the guards saw her and was going to take her away so Zack attacked him. The gun got away from them, but Eva picked it up. Lydecker came in when she picked it up and he shot her!"

Alec put a comforting hand against Ben's shoulder. He really didn't know what else he could do. He still couldn't believe that Lydecker had shot one of them. It just couldn't be true, but he knew Ben would lie to him.

Ben stood suddenly and Alec scrambled back to avoid falling over. Ben grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"C'mon, we've gotta go," Ben said urgently.

"Go? What? Where?" Alec asked confused.

"We're leaving," Ben stated. "Tonight. Now, actually…I told them to wait for me because I had to come find you. We're getting out of here."

"Where are we gonna go?" Alec asked slowly. He really wasn't convinced that they should go in the first place. Manticore sucked sometimes, but there wasn't anywhere for them to go. This was it, and if they left then they would be tracked down and they'd be punished worse than ever before. He didn't really know what would happen, but it couldn't be good. No one had ever escaped before and there had to be a reason for that.

"I don't know, but we need to go. Now," Ben said adamantly. Ben started pulling him to the door, but he dug his heels in and stopped him.

"Ben, let's think about this for a second," Alec pleaded. "If we leave, they're gonna be after us. We'll get caught, and then they're gonna punish us worse than ever."

"Then we won't get caught," Ben replied. "But we have to go."

Ben started pulling him again, but he yanked his arm free. He didn't want to crush his brother's hope, but this was the only way. He had to get his brother to see reason before they did something that would get them both killed. "There's nothing out there! There's no way we could survive out there by ourselves! There's a reason no one's escaped before, and that's because it's hopeless! It's stupid to even think about!"

"Alec, please," Ben begged. "Please, we have to go and I'm not leaving without you. This is something I'm not going to let go. We need to leave. Even if there is nothing out there, we'll die here if we don't leave and now is our only chance!"

Alec scanned his brother's eyes hoping to find what he should do. Usually he was the one with the drastic ideas, but he didn't really plan on carrying them out. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to lose Ben either. If anyone heard him talking about this then it would be the end for his brother. The only way he could protect Ben would be to go with him. This was crazy; no, it was more than that, it was suicidal. But he wouldn't let his brother do it alone.

"Alright. Let's go," Alec said with a nod.

Ben breathed out in relief and grabbed his arm again. "Ok, we have to hurry. I don't know how long Zack will wait before he makes the move."

"This is crazy…" Alec muttered as Ben drug him along.

"We can do this. We just have to stick together," Ben said. That was a no brainer. The only reason he was doing this was so he could be with his brother.

Alec didn't argue; he let Ben lead the way through the halls. He still thought this was crazy, but he'd made up his mind and there was nothing he could do about it now. He wasn't going to lose his brother, so he would just have to follow him on this crazy endeavor. And if they died doing this then at least they went out with a bang.

"Hey!"

Ben and Alec both froze when they heard the yell. They turned to see a guard had spotted them. He was a tall man with dark hair and his uniform said 'WINCHESTER' on his left chest pocket. He quickly held his hands up to signal that he wasn't going to hurt them.

"Don't run away," the man said. "I'm not going to hurt you, ok?"

Alec wanted to run, but his legs weren't listening to him. He was frozen and Ben was frozen next to him. They needed to run so they wouldn't get in trouble. If Ben really wanted to get out of here then they needed to take this chance instead of just standing here and letting the guard catch them.

"I want to help you," the man said softly.

He took a step towards them and it was like a signal had finally gone off in his head. Ben must've had the same signal, because they both took off at the same time. Alec glanced back at the guard, but was surprised to see that he wasn't chasing them. That was weird for a guard. Guards were ordinary, but they always chased them.

Alec shook his head and forgot about the man. He had to focus on what they were about to do. He had to keep himself and his brother safe, and they couldn't get caught.

Ben skidded to a stop in front of a closed door and quickly pulled it open. They both went inside and Ben immediately closed the door behind them. Alec scanned the room; everyone was looking at them, but no one seemed surprised to see him. The only one that he recognized was Max, but he figured he wouldn't know any of the others.

"This is Alec," Ben introduced. "He's my brother."

"Is he coming with us?" A boy asked. Alec assumed this was Zack. Ben had told him that Zack was their CO and he would probably be the one in charge of the escape.

Ben nodded, "We're ready to go."

Zack motioned for the others in the unit to take their positions. Alec followed Ben to the window and waited for the signal. This was his last chance to back out of doing this, but he was already committed. He couldn't change his mind now; he just had to go through with it and hope for the best.

They shattered the windows. Alec stuck close to Ben as they both jumped to the ground far below. An alarm instantly sounded as the children all jumped and landed in the snow. He wished he had more than just the oversized t-shirt to wear, or at the very least he would've liked to have his combat boots. But they hadn't stopped for fatigues; they really should've thought this through more and come up with a better plan. Or not try to escape at all.

He couldn't do anything about it now; it was too late. Now he had to run.

Soldiers were already chasing them as they ran from the compound. Alec stayed with Ben every step of the way and Ben kept glancing over at him to make sure he was still with him. The snow was hard to run through, but they were genetically enhanced so they could manage. He just hated being cold and wet.

They ran to the forest; he hoped the trees would give them cover for when the guards started shooting. He knew the guards would start shooting them if they couldn't catch them. It would be imperative that they didn't get away. If there was more out there besides Manticore, then no one could know they existed.

Ben swerved after a while, and then they stopped in a small clearing. Zack was there already and a group of the other children in Ben's unit were there too. Max broke through the forest after another minute and everyone in the group looked to Zack. He pointed to two and motioned for them to go off in one direction. He did that with another pair and Alec realized he was splitting them up. It made sense to split up; it would give them a better chance to get away.

Zack pointed at him and Ben and motioned to the left. Ben nodded and stood up. Alec followed his lead and together they started to run again.

He could hear motors now and they were gaining on them. Dogs barked in the distance and the sharp pops of gunfire could be heard from the right. They ignored everything and kept running. The fence was getting closer, but the motor of an ATV was practically on top of them. The ATV broke through the tree line and headed straight for them.

They weren't going to make it to the fence in time. The ATV was right behind them. Alec turned his head and saw the man bring his gun around and aim at them. Alec ran at Ben and tackled him to the ground. They rolled away from the ATV, and the machine couldn't stop in time before it slammed into the fence.

The fence bowed from the force of the impact, and then bent as the ATV tried to tumble through it. The man fired wildly around himself as the fence wrapped around him and the electricity from the fence went through him. Bullets impacted the snow around him and Ben and he ducked closer to his twin. The shooting stopped after a moment and Alec cautiously raised his head to look for more threats.

Once he decided they were ok for the moment, he pushed himself off of Ben and let him up. They both did a quick once over on each other just to make sure they were really ok.

"That was close," Alec said once he was sure Ben wasn't hurt.

"Too close," Ben agreed.

They got up and dusted the snow off of themselves. Their oversized t-shirts were soaked from rolling around in the snow, but there was nothing they could do about that now.

Alec slowly walked over to the man tangled in the fence. He wanted the sidearm that the guard was carrying. He would feel better if they didn't have to wander around completely defenseless. They were already vulnerable thanks to their clothing and their size, but if he had a weapon then at least he could protect them a little more.

"Alec," Ben warned. "Don't."

"Ben, we need a weapon," Alec explained.

"It's too risky," Ben argued. "You're gonna get yourself electrocuted."

"I am not." Alec picked his way over the wrecked ATV. He wished he had time to get it working again. It would be way easier to travel and get away from this place if they had an ATV. But he would settle for the gun if he could get it.

"Alec," Ben hissed.

Alec ignored him and crawled over to the unconscious man. He didn't have to get too close, just close enough to get the gun out of the holster. He wasn't going to bother with the machine gun; it would be too hard to hide and carry around with them.

He scanned the guard to make sure he was unconscious before he focused again on the handgun in the holster at the man's side. He reached out to grab it and just as his fingers wrapped around the grip another hand grabbed his wrist. His eyes widened and he cried out in surprise as the man became conscious again and seized him. He tried to fall back and break free of the hold, but the man had a good grip.

The man made a sharp twist and he felt the delicate bones in his wrist break. He held in his cry of pain because that's what he was trained to do, but he couldn't help his eyes watering.

Ben suddenly flew in and punched the man in the face. Blood exploded from the man's nose and he fell back, unconscious again. Ben turned away from the man and slowly reached out to inspect his wrist. He let Ben check even though he already knew his wrist was broken.

"It's broken," Ben said simply.

"We can't do anything about it now," Alec muttered.

Ben looked like he wanted to say more, but Alec was grateful that he didn't. It was his own fault that he had to go for the gun. He should've made sure the man was actually unconscious instead of just assuming he was. Ben released his wrist and turned away from him. He reached out and grabbed the gun before he followed Ben again.

* * *

He was within reach of his boys and he blew it. He knew they would be afraid of him since he was a guard, but he had hoped they would sense that he wasn't going to hurt them. But he'd blown it by moving too fast. He'd been so close to getting them, but now he had to find another way.

At least his boys were together. Somehow they had found each other and now they were sneaking around together. He smiled thinking of all the trouble those two could get into together. Sam and Dean would love them, he knew that for sure. He just had to find them again.

The alarm suddenly sounded. He threw his head back and groaned. He had a feeling that his boys just took matters into their own hands. He instantly got on the radio and tried to figure out what was going on. He needed to know if his boys had made a break for it or if it was just a false alarm.

The radio was buzzing with way too much activity. He couldn't really tell what was going on.

Lydecker suddenly ran by and he ran after him, "Lydecker!"

Lydecker turned in surprise and frowned. "What?"

"What happened?"

"One unit is making a run for it," Lydecker replied impatiently.

"Which one?"

"Doesn't matter. They'll be back again soon," Lydecker said smoothly.

He nodded and let Lydecker walk away. He knew, even though Lydecker didn't say it, he knew his boys had made their escape. Which meant it was time for him to make his own escape. He needed to find them before the other guards did. He had just found his boys, he'd be damned if he lost them now.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	3. Chapter 3

Ben ran through the trees as fast as he could. He only had two concerns now; getting away from Manticore and keeping his brother safe. The latter was proving to be the more difficult one at the moment. He knew Alec didn't like following the rules and he knew Alec was reckless, but he'd never imagined it would be this difficult. Right in the beginning of the escape and Alec's wrist was broken.

It wasn't a fatal injury, but he knew it would be painful and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it for a few days at least. They would be running for a while and he wasn't even sure if there was anything else but woods. None of them knew anything but Manticore so they had no idea what would be out here. He just hoped there was something out here that could help them.

They ran for miles. Luckily no one was following them, but they still couldn't stop. They needed distance, so that meant they needed to keep going.

They ran through the day and long into the next night. It was early morning when they finally took a break. They were both breathing hard, their shirts were soaked, and they were both shivering with the cold. They could last a long time out in extreme weather, but they would feel it eventually.

Alec immediately sank to the ground, keeping his injured wrist close to his chest. Ben could see how tired he was and he felt the same, but they couldn't stop yet. They needed some shelter and they needed at least a small fire. If they stopped now they would fall asleep. It was snowing now and if they fell asleep they might not wake up again.

Ben pulled on Alec's arm to get him up again. Alec grumbled a little, but then he stood up and waited for what he should do.

"We need a fire. At least a small one…" Ben said.

Alec nodded his agreement and went off in search of some good sticks to use. Ben cleared out a patch of snow for the fire and started looking for some good pine trees to get branches from for shelter. While he looked he kept one eye on Alec just to keep track of him. He didn't want anything to happen to his brother, well, anything else.

He wasn't really sure what they could do for Alec's wrist out here in the wild. They needed something to wrap it with, but the only thing they had was their oversized t-shirts and they needed what they were wearing. They didn't have much to protect against the elements and they couldn't give up the little bit that they had.

Alec dropped an arm load of sticks in the middle of the clearing, and then started to clear out more snow for them to sleep. Ben rigged up some pine tree branches above their little area to keep the snow from falling on them before he helped Alec pack the snow into makeshift walls around them.

Once they were done with that and had an almost cozy area, Ben grabbed a handful of snow and packed it onto Alec's broken wrist. His wrist was already swollen and the skin was black and blue. The snow might help bring down the swelling or at the very least it might numb it a little and help with the pain.

"Sit there and keep that snow on your wrist," Ben said.

Alec looked like he was about to argue, but Ben sent him a warning look and he deflated. He gingerly sat down, keeping his wrist close and asked, "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going to start a fire," Ben replied with a small smile.

Alec got a little more comfortable as Ben set the sticks up in a small teepee. "At least the snow will cover our prints," Alec muttered as Ben tried to get the wood to light. "And if it storms enough the dogs will have a hard time tracking us."

"Maybe we'll catch a break," Ben said in agreement.

"That would be nice. We could use a break…"

A small flame finally erupted and the smaller twigs caught fire. He blew softly on the fire to keep it going and a few seconds later he had a small, yet warm fire. He crawled back over to Alec and gently took his wrist in his hands to examine it closer.

"Your wrist is already healing…" Ben said with a frown. He hadn't set the bones so they weren't healing right. They would have to rebreak Alec's wrist once they were out of the woods and had some more supplies.

Alec pulled his wrist away and grumbled, "I know. Nothing we can do about it here though."

Ben sighed, but he gave Alec some space on this issue. They couldn't deal with it now anyway so he'd let it go. A sudden shiver ran through him making him wish again that they had more than just their shirts.

"You ready to cuddle up for the night or what?" Alec asked with a smirk.

Ben chuckled, but then asked, "You don't think one of us should keep watch?"

Alec shrugged, "If we both sleep now, we can sleep longer, and then get going sooner than we would if we took it in shifts. And if anyone gets close we're both light sleepers so we should wake up in time to get out of here. And cuddling will allow us to share body heat and keep us both warmer."

Ben couldn't argue with that so he scooted closer to his brother. They both lay down and curled around each other. Ben was instantly warmer and he felt his eyes droop a moment later. Alec's breathing was already slower in sleep and he wasn't far behind.

* * *

Tracking down his boys was proving to be even more difficult the second time than it had the first. The only advantage he had this time around was that he knew they were out there. It wasn't just his blind hope keeping him going; he had proof that they were alive and he could work with that.

Teams were out scouring the woods for the unit that had escaped. He'd made his own escape and had been driving the roads in the hope that he'd stumble upon his boys and pick them up before anything could happen to them.

He'd driven around for over a day before he'd backtracked and parked the Impala off of a side road and decided it was time to search the woods. There was a lot of ground to cover, but he hoped he could pick up the trail. He had to find them before the Manticore soldiers did. If his boys were caught, he knew they'd be lost to him forever.

He just prayed that they were ok. He knew it wasn't likely that they had made it out unscathed, but he knew they would look out for one another. It was in their blood to look out for each other and he knew how strong their bond could be just by watching his other two boys. Sam and Dean had a bond stronger than any other siblings he'd ever seen.

He got some gear out of the trunk before he started his search. One thing he knew for sure, he wasn't leaving these woods without some clue of where his boys were.

* * *

Alec's wrist throbbed as they ran, but he didn't complain. They had a lot of ground to make up, but they had needed a break. They were super soldiers, but they were still at least partly human. They had slept for a few hours before they had taken down their camp and erased any sign that they had ever been there.

"You ok?" Ben asked, turning his head to look back at him.

Alec nodded and said shortly, "Fine."

"Tell me if you wanna stop," Ben urged. Alec nodded again even though he would never say if he needed to stop. Ben frowned like he knew that he wasn't going to say anything, but he continued to run.

Ben was worried about him, but he shouldn't be. That went against their training, but Ben was a lot more receptive to other people's feelings than other transgenics seemed to be. That definitely wasn't part of their training; it was just part of who Ben was.

Alec tried to ease some of Ben's worry, but he could only take so much of it. He wasn't used to people worrying about him; his unit didn't care about each other like Ben's unit did. Besides that, but Ben was way overreacting. It was just a broken wrist; it wasn't like his bone was sticking out or one of his major organs had been punctured. He'd had broken bones before and this was nothing.

Ben turned to looked at him again, but he decided to speak before Ben could. "So should we stay on this course or should we change it up a bit?"

"How would we change it up? What if this is all there is?" Ben asked.

"We could climb a tree and see what else is out there," Alec said with a shrug.

" _We_ can't climb a tree, but _I_ can," Ben said.

Alec rolled his eyes and huffed, but then relented, "Fine. You scurry on up one of these trees and I'll stay down here and keep watch."

"I'll be quick," Ben tried to reassure.

Alec gave him a quick nod and got his handgun ready to fire just in case. He and Ben hadn't known each other for long, but he already felt uneasy without his brother by his side. Ben was the only person he could trust; his brother was the only person on his side in this world and he wasn't going to give that up.

Ben landed softly beside him after a few seconds and said, "If we veer left a little more it looks like there could be road, but it's a long way…"

"That's the only thing we've got," Alec muttered. He turned to start walking in the direction of the road, but Ben caught his arm to stop him.

"Alec, I don't think we can make it that far," Ben said. "We don't have any food or water. We're going to freeze to death before we can get to the road. And even if we do get to the road, what then? We don't know-"

"Ben," Alec cut off. He put his hands on his twin's shoulders and reassured, "It'll be fine. We'll need to slow down a bit if we want to make it to the road, but once we get there, it'll be fine."

"Alec-"

"No Ben. It has to be fine. We have to go to the road because we don't have any other choice," Alec said, shaking Ben's shoulders slightly. "We can't go back there. If they get us then they'll kill us or even worse, they'll torture us."

Ben nodded slowly, "Yeah…you're right."

"We just have to make it to the road," Alec said.

* * *

It was their fourth day in the woods. They were both freezing, dehydrated, and starving. They were barely stumbling along, leaning against each other for support and for any extra heat the other could provide. They weren't going to make it; they both knew it, but they had to keep going. They would fight until the end.

Ben reached out and caught Alec before he could fall. He kept his arm around his brother to help him as much as he could. He almost couldn't get Alec to wake up this morning, but he had finally come around and they'd kept going. He couldn't do this without his brother; they were in this together and if Alec died then he wouldn't be far behind.

Alec stopped suddenly and sank down in the snow next to a tree. Ben pulled on his arm to try to get him up again, but he wouldn't budge.

"Alec, we've gotta keep going," Ben urged. "We can't take a break yet."

Alec looked up at him with pleading eyes, "Just a couple minutes then we can keep going."

"We gotta keep moving. Keep our blood circulating and get to the road. Remember, if we get to the road everything will be fine," Ben said.

Alec looked around, and then suggested, "Why don't you climb up one of these trees and see how close we are…"

Ben frowned, but nodded his agreement. He didn't want to leave Alec alone, but they should make sure they were still on the right track. Before he started to climb though he crouched down in front of Alec and grabbed his chin so he would look at him. "Don't fall asleep, ok? I'm only going to be gone a minute, and then we keep going."

"Ok," Alec replied softly.

Ben patted Alec's shoulder, and then quickly scurried up the tree. His heart sank when he saw they still weren't very close to the road. Their pace had slowed way down after the second day, which had made their goal next to impossible to reach. But this was all they had.

"Ben!" Alec called out from far below.

Ben looked down and focused on his brother. He was slowly pushing himself back to his feet and he had their gun out. Ben didn't waste any time jumping down and landing next to Alec. "What is it?"

"We've got company," Alec replied.

Ben looked where Alec's gaze was already trained and listened for what his brother must have heard. Four sets of feet were coming their way. They sounded heavy, like they were booted and they were men, not kids.

Ben motioned to Alec that he should go right and he nodded his agreement. They split up and silently made their way closer to the threat. They needed to eliminate quickly if they wanted to have a chance out of this. They weren't in any shape to have a long fight and any injuries they sustained during this would make their survival even slimmer.

Ben stalked closer to the two men on the left. They were in full gear and were wearing the fatigues from Manticore. They weren't in a hurry so Ben decided they had just stumbled upon them instead of tracking them.

Ben moved like a shadow and waited for his moment to strike. He was just about to jump out and attack when his brother's cry of pain pierced the air. It was cut off abruptly and Ben took off running.

There was one man down in the snow. The other man was standing over Alec with an electrical stick in one hand and a gun in the other. He put away the electrical stick and pulled out a radio. Ben blurred towards the man and knocked him out with one punch. The man crumbled and Ben pushed him so he wouldn't fall on his brother.

Ben crouched down and checked Alec's pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Alec had a deep gash at his temple and blood was staining the snow. He still had the gun in his right hand so Ben gently unwrapped Alec's fingers from the grip and took the gun.

A shot suddenly rang out, and then a second later there was a burning in his right shoulder. He turned too late to see the other two men making their way towards him and Alec. He had made a mistake; he had let himself be distracted by checking on Alec and had dropped his guard and he had paid for it.

He jumped up before the men could get another shot off and pointed his gun at them. He shot one of the men before either of them could react to his movement and he crumbled with a bullet between the eyes.

The other man fired at him again, but the shot was wide. Ben blurred over to the man, jumped up, and broke the man's neck without blinking an eye. He glanced back over to Alec once the men were down, but he was disappointed to see that his brother was still out. He looked back to the men and quickly disarmed them all, and then grabbed the coats off of two of them.

The coats were heavy and warm and Ben ran over to Alec and carefully got one of the coats on his unconscious brother. He put the other coat on himself and was just about to check his wound when another sound hit his sensitive ears.

There was another set of footsteps heading his way. He got up and stood protectively over Alec and aimed the gun at the newest threat.

"Don't shoot!" A man suddenly called out.

Ben's heart was pounding; he couldn't trust anyone, but they needed help. They wouldn't last very much longer out here on their own especially since they were both hurt.

"I'm not one of them," The man said. "I just want to help."

"Who are you?" Ben yelled back. He wasn't entirely convinced that this man was going to help him and his brother, but he didn't have many options.

"My name's John Winchester. I've been out here looking for you since the escape, but I'm not from Manticore," John said.

Ben didn't know if he could believe that or not. John didn't sound bad, but some of the guards at Manticore had treated them decently too, but now they were out looking for them.

"Are you hurt?" John asked. He slowly walked out from behind a tree and Ben got his first look at the man. He was tall with dark hair, but he didn't look threatening. He actually looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

John took a step closer to him, but he raised his gun again and warned, "Don't take another step. I will shoot you."

John raised his hands up in surrender and stopped. His eyes traveled down to Alec and his eyes widened slightly. "Is he ok? Is he-is he…" John swallowed hard and his eyes were full of panic. He genuinely looked concerned for Alec's well-being. "Is he alive?" John managed to ask.

Ben nodded once and John took another step closer. Ben wanted to yell at him to stop again, but he was feeling weaker by the second. His eyes were going out of focus and his legs felt wobbly. He could feel his blood leaking out of his bullet wound at an alarming rate. He was already weak from traveling without food or water for four days with little sleep, but now he was losing blood too. He shouldn't have put the coat on. When he was freezing his blood wasn't circulating as well, but now that he was warmer his blood was circulating and leaving his body.

John took another step, but Ben had to blink a few times to get him back in focus.

"I know it's hard to trust right now, but you boys need help," John said softly. "I have a car, it's a few miles from here, but I can help you. I want to help you."

Movement from the ground suddenly drew his attention away from John. The man he had knocked out that had hurt Alec was up and was rushing towards him. Ben moved too slowly to bring his gun around, but another shot rang out and the man stumbled to a stop. Blood spilled from a wound in his chest. The man collapsed to his knees, and then fell forward and didn't move again.

Ben looked over in surprise at John. He had a gun out and he was aiming at the dead man. He'd had a gun this whole time and he'd only used it to protect him.

Ben still wasn't sure if he should trust John or not, but he didn't have much of a choice. His own knees gave out and he was suddenly next to Alec on the ground.

"I'm sorry Alec," Ben whispered. He'd failed to protect his brother and even though this stranger seemed to be nice, he was still a stranger. They were in his hands now because Ben passed out a moment later.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	4. Chapter 4

John's heart broke when Eric lost his fight with consciousness and fell to the ground next to Hayden. He'd been terrified when he first got to the scene. He was afraid he was too late. Hayden was on the ground, not moving, while Eric took on the last two guards.

He was impressed by Eric's ability to take out the guards, but he'd also been a little frightened. His 9 year old boy could take care of himself, but at that age he shouldn't have to know those things.

It was harder to convince Eric to trust him than he thought. But he should have been expecting that reaction considering what he knew about Manticore. His boys would've been taught to trust no one, but they had still found each other and it was obvious that they cared about each other.

John walked towards his injured boys, his brave boys. He carefully turned Eric over and checked his pulse. It was too fast, but with everything that was going on he thought it was ok. He frowned though when he saw the blood staining his boy's shirt.

He moved the coat to the side and found the source to be at Eric's right shoulder. He must've gotten this before John had gotten there. He dropped his duffle bag on the ground next to him and dug through it for a moment until he found some bandages and got them out. He wrapped Eric's shoulder as best as he could; he couldn't do much out in the woods, but at least this way his boy wouldn't bleed to death before he could get him back to the car.

He gently lowered Eric back to the ground and moved over to Hayden to check on him. His pulse was weak and slow, too slow. Hayden was in danger of hypothermia that much he knew for sure. He needed to get both of his boys out of here, but he had to make sure Hayden wasn't bleeding somewhere critical.

There was a deep gash at his right temple and his left wrist was painfully swollen, but other than that he seemed to be ok. He just needed to get his boy warmed up before it was too late.

He grabbed his duffle and slung it over his shoulder before he turned back to Hayden. He picked up his son and held him against his chest. His eyes filled with tears at finally being able to do this again. He put his hand on the back of Hayden's head and just held him. His boys, he finally had his boys again.

He shook himself after a minute and got moving again. He had to get them out of there before more Manticore guards showed up. He balanced Hayden while he scooped Eric up in his other arm. Neither of his boys roused with the manhandling, but they had been through so much he wasn't surprised.

He'd been in the woods for three days trying to find any sign of where Eric and Hayden could be. He just swept the woods and backtracked and tried to stay as close to the road as possible since he wanted to cover his bases and stay close to the car just in case he found them. He'd finally stumbled across the four guards yesterday and had followed them at a distance. They didn't seem to be in a hurry, but they might have a direction to go on while he didn't.

He'd fallen behind this morning, but it wasn't hard to follow the footprints. Unlike his boys, the guards weren't worried about anyone tracking them so they didn't do anything about their footprints.

It was a day's hike back to the car, but he hoped he could get there sooner. If one of his boys woke up and needed something then he wouldn't hesitate to stop. He would do anything for his sons and he needed to help them, but he also needed to find a way to gain their trust.

They were about halfway to the car when Eric started to stir. His arms were aching, but he kept going. Eric turned his head against his shoulder, and he glanced down to see his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks. His eyes slowly opened and he looked up at him blearily. He looked like he wanted to fight to get away, but his body just didn't have the strength.

"Hey buddy," John whispered. "Do you remember me?"

Eric nodded and breathed out, "John."

"That's right," John said with a smile.

Eric's eyes slid from him over to Hayden. "My brother?" Eric asked, looking to him again for reassurance that Hayden was ok.

"He's hangin' in there," John reassured.

"I can walk," Eric muttered after a moment.

John tightened his hold on him, "I gotcha, you just rest, ok?"

"If I walk we can go faster," Eric pointed out.

"It's alright buddy. It won't take long before we get to the car," John said.

"Why are you helping us?" Eric asked, his voice small.

John's heart broke again for his boys. "It's really hard to explain, but once you're both safe I'll tell you everything ok? But I'm looking out for you boys." Eric didn't say anything, but he did rest his head against his shoulder again. "How's your arm?"

"It's manageable," Eric replied, his tone neutral.

"Do you want to stop?" John asked. "We can take a break for a few minutes and maybe I can get your brother to wake up. What d'you think?"

"Ok…" Eric whispered.

John found a good spot to sit down, and then slowly sat down with his boys in his lap. Eric shifted a little to get more comfortable and John grabbed Hayden's little feet to keep them out of the snow. He rubbed Hayden's back to try and get his blood flowing. His little boy was freezing, but that shouldn't be a surprise. They didn't have any shoes on and they had only recently gotten the coats they were wearing.

John rested Hayden against himself again, and then turned to Eric. "Can I look at your shoulder?" John asked.

Eric shook his head no, "We should keep going since he won't wake up."

"Alright buddy," John replied. He picked his boys up again and started walking.

Eric fell asleep again after a few hours and Hayden remained unconscious. He made it back to the car, and even though it wasn't the best idea, he put both boys in the front seat and buckled them in. They were so small he just wanted to hold them and keep them safe.

He cranked the heat on full blast hoping to warm his boys up. They were leaning against each other so hopefully that helped too.

John pulled his phone out after a few miles and dialed for Dean. His 16 year old son answered after the second ring with a cautious, "Hello?"

"Dean, it's me," John replied.

"Did you find 'em?" Dean asked slowly, unsure what the answer was going to be.

"I found 'em and I'm bringin' 'em back now," John said, and he couldn't quite keep the smile off of his face. He'd been looking for 9 years for his boys and now he finally had them back.

"They alright?" Dean asked.

"They're both hurt so I'll need your help bringin' 'em in," John said. "And we've gotta take it slow with 'em. That place was messed up, Dean. The boys aren't going to trust us for a while, but they need us."

"I know dad," Dean reassured softly.

"Alright, I'll be there soon," John said. "You boys doin' ok?"

"Yeah. Sammy's excited to meet his little brothers," Dean said, and John could hear the smile in his voice.

"He won't have to wait much longer," John said with a chuckle. He reached over and ran his hand over his boy's buzzed head. "You won't believe it, but they've got your eyes, kiddo."

"Really?" Dean asked surprised.

"Yep, bright green. And they've got freckles across their noses. Their like little copies of you," John said glancing over at his boys.

"Perfect!" Dean said. "That'll give me two more on my side when I fight with Sammy."

John threw his head back and laughed, but then he warned, "They might not both be on your side."

"We'll see," Dean said.

"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes," John said. He rubbed both of their heads lovingly as he got closer to the motel.

It had been a good 40 minute drive, but neither boy had woken up. His worry had lessened some as he talked to Dean. His oldest son always had a way of easing his fears and knowing how to put a smile on his face. But he wasn't talking to Dean now and the reality of his boys being hurt and unconscious was hitting him again.

Eric had been shot and Hayden was hypothermic or severely concussed. His boy had been out for a long time and he just hoped it was that he was exhausted from running for four days straight. He was really impressed with how his boys had stuck together and made it as far as they did.

John pulled into the parking lot and parked in front of the room he had rented for his other two boys. Dean walked out of the room as soon as he pulled up and ran over to the passenger side door. John unbuckled their seatbelt, and then carefully slid his arms under Eric's shoulders and knees.

"Dean, that's Hayden. Take him inside and get him under as many blankets as you can. But be careful with his wrist. And-"

"Dad, I've got him, ok?" Dean said softly.

John nodded and watched as Dean gently picked Hayden up and walked inside with him. Hayden looked so small in Dean's arms and Dean was only 16. John followed after just a moment and took Eric inside.

* * *

Dad hadn't been kidding when he said his brothers looked like little copies of him. Their eyes were closed and their heads were shaved, but he could still see the resemblance.

He carried his little brother inside and took him to the furthest bed. Sammy instantly ran up to him as soon as he walked inside.

"Is that him? Which one is he? Is he hurt?" Sammy asked a million miles per hour.

"Yeah, Dad's got our other brother," Dean said. "He said this is Hayden and yes, he's hurt, but we're gonna help him." Dad walked in behind him carrying Eric. "Go see if Dad needs help, ok?"

"Ok," Sam quickly replied, and then he ran over to Dad to see what he could do.

Dean held Hayden with one arm and pulled back the covers. His little brother was so small; he already felt very protective over both of them and he hated to think what all had happened to them. He gently laid Hayden down, pulled the covers over him, and then turned to get the first aid kit. Sam was already there though, holding it at the ready for him.

"Dad said I should help you," Sam said.

Dean smiled and replied, "Alright, I need some antiseptic and some of the wipes to clean out this gash in his forehead."

Sam nodded and handed him what he asked for. Dean was thorough cleaning the cut at Hayden's temple. He turned Hayden's head to the side, but then frowned. "Sammy, I need some more light."

"On it," Sam quickly replied. He hopped off of the bed and got the lamp off of the side table. He plugged it in on the other side and turned it on to give him more light.

"Thanks Sammy," Dean said. He turned back to Hayden and carefully put in the stitches. It didn't take him long to finish, and then he taped a little piece of gauze on the cut.

"Dean, how can you tell them apart?" Sam asked.

"Dad told me this was Hayden," Dean replied. "I don't know how he knew, but it was probably something he noticed at Manticore."

"Like how they act?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean answered. "We'll probably be able to tell them apart once they wake up and start talking to us."

"I hope you're right," Sam muttered, and then asked, "Do you think they look like you?"

"Yeah, they do," Dean said.

Sam bit his lip in thought and he glanced over at Eric and dad at the other bed. Dad was cleaning out what looked like a bullet wound in his brother's shoulder. He felt anger rise up within him; those bastards had been shooting at children and they had hit his brother.

"Dean?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean made himself relax and reassured, "Everything's alright."

Sam nodded, and then looked back to Hayden. "His wrist looks pretty bad."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "I'm going to check that next."

* * *

He was numb. He couldn't remember what exactly had happened, but it didn't really matter. He couldn't bring himself to care; he was just tired. He hoped Ben was ok, but his brother was probably freaking out. He hadn't really been able to wake up that morning and Ben had practically panicked then.

He knew he'd been out for a long time this time around. He was numb, but he felt sluggish, like he was swimming in molasses and couldn't break free.

At least that was how he felt until someone grabbed his broken wrist. That sent a jolt of pain through him that forced him back into consciousness.

He reacted without even having to think about it. He yanked his arm away from whoever was holding it, and then threw a hard punch at them. Whoever it was grunted with the hit and fell away from him. He was up in an instant, but he nearly collapsed again when he reached the new altitude.

He managed to stay conscious though, and he quickly took in his surroundings. He wasn't in the woods anymore, and that in itself was confusing, but there were other people in this room he was in and he didn't know them.

There was a boy sitting on the bed who looked a little older than him, but he had brown eyes and dark brown hair. Another boy, well closer to a man, maybe a teenager, was on the floor with a hand over his jaw. It must've been the one he'd hit a moment ago.

He looked to the other side of the room and he nearly lost it when he saw Ben. His brother was bleeding on the other bed and an older man was over him. He did lose it when he recognized the man as one of the guards at Manticore.

He growled low in his throat and started to leap into action. He had to get Ben out of here. He didn't remember what had put them in this situation, but he was going to get them out. Who knew what this Manticore goon was going to do to them.

Before he could get far though, an arm wrapped around his middle and pulled him back. He struggled to fight the older boy off, but he was embarrassed to find that his body was too weak to throw him off.

The guard noticed their struggle and slowly stood up and walked over to them.

"Hayden," the guard said softly. "I need you to calm down, ok?"

Alec frowned, was this guy talking to him?

"We're just trying to help you," the guard continued.

Alec didn't reply, but he did force himself to relax. He waited until the older boy loosened his grip before he made his move. He elbowed the boy hard in the gut and he heard a satisfying whoosh of air from the boy. He was released and he ran right at the guard.

He plowed into him since he didn't have many options and they both fell to the floor. The guard tried to grab him, but he was too quick. He was already up and next to Ben before the guard could even blink.

He looked for anything he could use as a weapon, but there was nothing. He would just have to improvise, but no matter what, he was protecting Ben. He stood in front of his brother and raised his fists, ready for the next attack.

"Hayden, we're not going to hurt you," the guard said.

"My name's not Hayden," Alec growled.

The guard's face fell slightly, but he quickly covered it up and asked, "What is your name?"

"Why would I tell you?"

The guard sighed, "You remember me from Manticore don't you?"

Alec nodded once, and then threatened, "We're not going back there. I might not look like much, but I'm gonna do what I have to, to protect my brother and get outta here."

"We just want to help you. Both of you," the guard said.

"We don't need help," Alec shot back.

"Your brother's hurt," the guard pointed out. "He's lost a lot of blood and I'm trying to patch him up."

Alec quickly glanced back at Ben and noticed his pale features. He could smell all of the blood and he could hear his rapid heartbeat.

"Give me your gun," Alec demanded. The guard scowled, but then took a deep breath and pulled out his gun. He took a slow step towards him, and then handed him the gun. Alec immediately pointed at the man; his wrist was still throbbing but his hands were steady. "One wrong move and you're dead," Alec threatened.

"I'm just trying to help," the guard promised.

The guard went back to his brother and finished cleaning out the wound. Alec's aim never wavered as the guard packed the wound, and then wrapped it with gauze.

The guard sat back once he was done and asked, "Will you tell me your name now?"

"No."

"My name's John," the guard said without missing a beat. "Those are my boys, Sam and Dean." John pointed behind him, but he refused to look.

"Why are you helping us?" Alec asked, his voice cold.

"It's a long story and I'd rather only tell it once. Can you wait until your brother wakes up?" John asked.

Alec didn't want to wait; he wanted to grab his brother and run. But he knew they wouldn't make it far. His adrenaline was running out and the past few days were catching up to him. He still couldn't remember what had happened to get them here, but he figured it had something to do with his head injury.

"Your brother lost a lot of blood. I need to give him a blood transfusion. Do you know his blood type?" John asked when he didn't say anything.

"He can't have ordinary blood," Alec replied, his voice clipped.

"Ok, whose blood can he have?" John asked patiently.

"Mine." John looked reluctant to allow that, but as a guard he should've already known this information. Alec sighed and explained like it was obvious. "He needs my blood because it's different from yours. Ordinary blood makes us sick."

John sighed too, "Alright, will you let me get this needle in your arm?"

"No," Alec stated. John was about to point out the obvious, but Alec stopped him. "Do one of them know how to do it?"

"You mean Sam or Dean?" John asked to clarify.

"Yeah."

"Dean," John said, nodding his head to come forward. The older boy walked past him and stood next to John.

Alec kept his gun on John and motioned for him to move, "I want you over by Sam and don't move."

"Ok," John agreed easily. He moved to stand next to Sam, and Alec finally decided it was ok to drop his gun just a little bit.

"K'mere," Dean said from the other side of the bed.

Alec slowly walked over but warned, "Don't try any funny business. It takes me less than a second to shoot and I don't miss."

"I believe you," Dean replied.

"Good," Alec said as he hopped onto the bed next to Ben. He let Dean put the needle in his arm with a small tube, and then he put the other end in Ben's arm. Alec's blood traveled through the small tube and into his brother.

"I can't let you sit here for very long," Dean said after a moment. "You need your blood too."

Alec shrugged, "I heal fast. It won't be a big deal."

"Will you let me look at your wrist while we wait?" Dean asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It needs to be rebroken because it healed wrong. If you rebreak it, I'm gonna pass out, and then I can't protect my brother."

"How 'bout an IV. You've been out there for a while right? You probably need some fluids. So, will you let us set up an IV for you?" Dean asked.

"No," Alec repeated. Dean took a deep breath, but Alec explained before he could ask. "If you make up an IV you could put God knows what in there and I could be out in seconds, and then wake up back at Manticore." He shot a dirty look over at John knowing he would be the reason he went back to Manticore.

"Look kid, my dad went out there to find you and we just want to help you. We can't do that if you won't let us," Dean said, his patience wearing.

Alec didn't reply; he didn't care what the guard did or didn't do. He was still a guard and he couldn't trust him.

"You don't make things easy, you know that?" Dean asked. Alec looked over at him and was surprised to see a smile was tugging at the older boy's lips.

"Why is that funny?" Alec asked curiously.

"It's one of those things that are hard to explain," Dean replied.

Alec frowned, wishing he understood what Dean meant. He didn't know why, but he actually kind of liked Dean and he felt bad for hitting him. "I'm sorry I hit you," Alec said before he could stop himself. Apologizing was a weakness; he wasn't allowed to do that.

Dean chuckled, "It's ok. You took me by surprise and you hit harder than I expected."

Alec smiled a little, "You're lucky I pulled back. If I would've punched you at full force then your jaw would be broken."

"Well thanks for pulling back," Dean said returning Alec's smile. "I'm kinda fond of talking and a broken jaw would've made that hard to do."

"I like talking too," Alec said. He couldn't help himself; this was only the third person he'd ever had a real conversation with and he liked it. "We weren't allowed to talk much at Manticore."

Dean suddenly became serious and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Dean seemed sincere even though Alec doubted the older boy knew much about Manticore. And if he did then he would only know it from his dad who would've painted a different picture than the one Alec had.

"Alec," he whispered.

"What?" Dean asked, confused having not heard what he had said.

"Alec. That's my name," he said a little louder. He shot a worried glance over at John to see if he had heard, but he was talking to the other boy, Sam. He didn't want the guard to know that they had given each other names and had stopped using their designations. "Don't tell your dad, ok?"

"Ok," Dean promised, and then asked, "Will you tell me your brother's name?"

"Ben," Alec replied.

Dean smiled and slowly reached over to rub his head affectionately. Alec had almost pulled away when he did that, afraid that Dean was going to hit him, but he kind of liked what Dean did. It was kind of nice; it was like he had another friend. He wasn't entirely sure he could trust Dean completely, but he seemed to be ok for now.

"Alright, it's time to take the needle out, ok?" Dean asked.

"Ok," Alec replied. He was so tired; his adrenaline rush was completely gone now and he was running on fumes. But he couldn't go to sleep. He needed to protect Ben and he couldn't trust these people enough to sleep. But his body was yelling at him to take a break.

He just then noticed how cold he was and he immediately started shivering. His head throbbed, his muscles ached, and his wrist hurt. He really didn't feel good and this whole situation was unfair. He'd been ready to die in those woods, but somehow he'd ended up here and now he had to keep fighting. He had hoped if he had died, Ben would've let him go and saved himself. He would've made better time alone and could've made it to the road. Now they were with strangers who he didn't know if they could trust or not. He only knew that he wasn't going back to Manticore; he'd rather die than go back there.

His eyes filled with tears without his permission. He blamed his stupid body for not listening to him and wished he was stronger. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay awake until Ben woke up so he had to try something else. He had to break his pride and beg this boy he'd just met to help him.

He looked up at Dean with shining eyes and pleaded, "Please don't let him take us back. I know he's your dad and all, but we can't go back." A tear slipped free and streaked down his cheek. "I'd rather die than go back there and I know Ben would too. Please."

Uh oh, the dam had burst and he was getting hysterical. But he was a kid for cryin' out loud. He knew he was supposed to be a soldier and that he needed to suck it up, but he was scared and he was hurt and he needed help.

Tears were falling freely now and he tried hard not to sob like a baby. "Please don't let him take us."

Dean moved closer to him, "K'mere Alec." Alec didn't know what Dean was going to do, but he suddenly wrapped his arms around him and held him close. He'd stiffened at first, unsure of what this was, but then he felt safe and he let himself cry against Dean. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe," Dean whispered to him. "I won't let anything happen to you, ok? Or your brother."

Alec nodded against Dean and let himself get it all out. All of the fear from the past few days, all of the pain, and all of the unknown. He cried until he didn't have any tears left, and then he drifted off against Dean's chest.

* * *

Dean held Alec until he fell asleep against him. His little brother was scared and had been trying his hardest to hide that. Dean rubbed Alec's little back, and then kissed the top of his head. It was obvious that Alec had never been comforted before; he'd started to pull away when Dean had rubbed his head and he had stiffened in his arms when he'd hugged him.

"I'm gonna take care of you," Dean whispered even though he knew Alec was asleep.

He picked up his little brother and started to head back to Alec's bed, but then he stopped. He looked back to Ben who was still out, and then to Alec. His brother's only concern had been to protect his brother and get him out of here. They had escaped together and survived together.

Dean turned around and tucked Alec in next to Ben. That way if one of them woke up they would at least have each other. That would be one less thing for them to worry about. Alec turned in his sleep and moved closer to Ben. He carefully curled himself around his brother; it was like even asleep he was conscious of his brother's injury.

"You did good, Dean," John said coming up beside him. He ran his hand down his face and said, "I wished over and over that he would wake up while we were out there. It's a good thing he didn't. He would've taken off at the first sight of me and we would've never seen him again."

Dean shook his head in disagreement, "No, he wouldn't've run. He would've wanted to, but he wouldn't leave his brother."

"Did he tell you their names?" John asked.

"Yeah…"

John waited a moment, and then prodded, "Well, what are they?"

"I can't tell you," Dean said. "I promised him I wouldn't."

John sighed, but then nodded his agreement. "You're right. He trusts you and it wouldn't do us any good for you to break that trust."

"He'll trust you, dad, they both will," Dean reassured. "It's just gonna take some time."

John nodded again before he started to turn away. "I'm gonna get cleaned up a bit. Keep an eye on 'em, alright?"

"I will," Dean promised, and John went into the bathroom.

Sam looked at him once their dad was gone and Dean knew he was shaken up from what had happened. Dean moved away from the twins' bed and sat on the vacant bed. He motioned for Sam to come over there and Sam didn't hesitate at all before he climbed onto the bed next to him and leaned against him.

"I thought he was going to shoot dad," Sam said in a small voice.

"Sam, he won't shoot dad," Dean reassured. "He's scared and he thinks dad's gonna take him back to Manticore."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Well, dad was a guard there and he must've seen him and recognized him," Dean said.

"How're we gonna get them to trust us?"

Dean pulled Sam closer to him and looked over at the sleeping twins. "We've gotta let them know that we just want to help them. They've been through a lot, but once they get to know us, they'll trust us."

"So, they're names aren't Eric and Hayden?" Sam asked. "What if they aren't really our brothers?"

Dean chuckled, "I think the resemblance is a pretty good clue that they're our brothers. But they probably didn't know their names back at Manticore and went by something else."

"Oh," Sam said simply. He snuggled closer to Dean and fell asleep after a few more minutes. Neither of them had been able to sleep very well while their dad was away. They knew what he was doing and it made them nervous not knowing exactly what was going on. He knew Sam was worn out from the stress, he was too, but he wouldn't break his promise to Alec.

If his brother woke up and he was asleep, Alec wouldn't trust him as easily. He needed to stay awake until the twins were more comfortable around them. He didn't want to lose them after just getting them back.

He'd never gotten to meet the twins when they were born. He'd been looking after Sammy while his parents were at the hospital. They'd come back the next day; neither of them willing to talk about what had happened. They were so sad and Dean knew it wasn't good. His dad had told him later that day that his brothers hadn't made it.

Dean had taken his word for it and had grieved for the two brothers that he would never get to meet. He was only six at the time, but he'd still understood what his parents were talking about. After his mom died, his dad had decided that the twins weren't actually dead. He had asked why he thought they weren't dead, but his dad hadn't been making much sense back then.

Dean had followed along though and had done everything his dad had asked of him as they searched for what had killed their mom and for the twins. He hadn't really believed that the boys were still alive, but now he had proof that dad had been right all along. And now he had the chance to know his brothers and to take care of them.

Dean smiled as he watched over his sleeping brothers. He now had three brothers and he really couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	5. Chapter 5

Ben almost panicked when he finally began to wake up. Alec had been unconscious for far too long and his brother could be dead now for all he knew. He immediately relaxed though when he felt his brother's breath against his neck and the warmth of his body against his side. He was relieved to feel that Alec was a little warmer than he had been and his heartbeat was stronger too.

Ben was about to shift and try to untangle himself from Alec, but his brother had a good hold on him and he couldn't break that. Alec was scared, Ben realized. He must've woken up and not known where they were or who the man was helping them. Ben wished he could've been awake for Alec; he could've reassured his brother and made sure he was ok.

Ben knew Alec was afraid of what was outside of Manticore and he hadn't been able to help him. Alec hadn't wanted to escape in the first place and Ben knew he'd only left because of him. Ben turned a little so he could hold onto Alec and try to comfort him while he slept. He'd do anything for his brother and he'd been so afraid that he was about to lose him.

His shoulder hurt when he moved, but he ignored that so he could wrap his arm around Alec. He was embarrassed to finally realize that they weren't in the woods anymore. They were in a bed in a room. He wanted to look further, but he was starting to get tired again. He looked back to Alec hoping his brother would wake up before he fell asleep again. They had a lot to talk about and they couldn't do it while they slept.

He frowned after a moment though when he noticed tear tracks down Alec's cheeks. He'd never seen his brother cry before and he hated it even more now that he hadn't been there for him. He reached out and gently wiped away the tears.

"Hey, you're awake," someone said. Ben didn't recognize the voice so he instantly tore his gaze away from Alec and snapped to the new stranger.

A boy, older than him and Alec but strangely similar to them in appearance, slowly walked over to him. He raised his hands up to signal that he wasn't going to hurt them, and then sat down next to him.

"My name's Dean," the boy said. He looked over his shoulder and Ben followed his gaze to see a sleeping boy on the other bed who only looked a little older than him, and the man who had helped them in the woods was sleeping on a little sofa. "That's Sam and that's my dad, John."

Ben didn't know what to say; he didn't know if he could trust Dean and he wished Alec was awake so they could figure out what to do. He knew John had helped them out of the woods, but he didn't know why.

Alec's hand suddenly tightened around him and Alec mumbled, "Ben?"

Ben ignored the older boy and focused back on Alec. "I'm right here," Ben reassured.

Alec relaxed slightly and opened his eyes just a little, "You ok?"

"Yeah, are you?" Alec nodded and let his eyes close again. Ben shook him a little bit and Alec scowled at him. "We need to figure some things out," Ben said.

Alec sighed, but nodded his agreement. He gingerly pushed himself up with one arm and leaned against the headboard. He helped Ben once he was up, and then they were both sitting together looking out at the rest of the room.

Dean smiled at them once they were up and Ben was surprised to see Alec give him a small smile back. "Would you guys drink some water?" Dean asked gently.

He and Alec shared a look; they were both dehydrated and they needed to start taking in fluids again. Alec finally looked back to Dean and nodded his ok. They both watched the older boy as he walked over to the kitchenette and got two cups out to fill with water. He brought the cups over to them and passed it off when they both reached out.

"I told him our names, but he promised not to tell the guard," Alec whispered to him.

"The guard?" Ben asked in confusion. Alec glanced over at John who was still asleep on the sofa. "He's not a guard. He's the one that got us out of the woods."

"He was at Manticore. I remember him from before we escaped," Alec said adamantly.

"He's the only reason we're alive," Ben stated. "You were unconscious and I couldn't get you to wake up. I couldn't carry you because I got shot. We would've both died out there if he hadn't carried us back to the car, and then here."

Alec frowned as he thought about it. He looked like he still didn't want to trust John, but Ben could tell he was trying to put the pieces back together; it looked like he didn't even remember how he got to be unconscious. Ben set his cup down and took Alec's cup out of his hand to put next to his.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Ben asked.

Alec's eyebrows drew together as he tried to come up with the answer, "I, um, I had a hard time waking up that morning…"

"Look at me," Ben demanded. Alec sighed like this was a big inconvenience for him and Ben growled, "Alec…"

Alec's eyes finally met his and he scanned his twin to see how badly he was hurt. Alec was squinting slightly against the light and even though he couldn't watch his pupils react to the light he still knew Alec had a concussion. There was gauze over the cut on his temple and he reached out to check it, but Alec caught his hand before he could.

"I'm fine," Alec said.

"What about your wrist?" Ben asked, unwilling to just let it go.

Alec pulled his hurt arm away slightly to try to hide it, but Ben wouldn't let him. He already knew from Alec's reaction that his wrist was still broken. He had allowed these strangers to stitch him up, but he hadn't let them help him with his wrist.

Alec finally let him inspect his wrist, but he winced when Ben barely touched it.

"Can I take care of it now?" Ben asked softly. Alec wouldn't let him earlier because they were in the woods, but they were out of the woods now so hopefully he would change his mind.

"It'd be pointless," Alec replied. "We don't have anything to set it with to keep it in place."

"I can help," Dean suddenly said. Both of them looked at him in surprise so he said, "We've had our fair share of injuries and I think we still have a brace that might fit you until we get you to a doctor."

Both of them panicked at the mention of a doctor. Alec ripped his hand away and jumped to his feet. Ben pushed himself as far back as he could go on the bed and started thinking of how they were going to get out of there and if there was any way they could steal something useful without hurting Dean too badly.

"Whoa, whoa," Dean tried to calm as soon as they panicked. "Hey, easy, we're just talking here. Which part of what I said doesn't work?"

"No doctors," Alec said quickly.

"Ok, no doctors," Dean agreed. "We'll just put a brace on it, ok?"

Alec slowly nodded and sat back down. Ben looked over to his brother and he nodded that it was ok. His brother already trusted Dean; he didn't know what Dean had done to earn that trust, but he would trust Alec and listen to the older boy.

Dean nodded once, and then went looking for the brace. He was back a few seconds later with two different braces in his hand.

Ben grabbed Alec's wrist again and examined where he should break it. He wanted to hit the same spot as the last one and he didn't want to cause Alec more pain. He found the right spot, and then glanced up at Alec to make sure he was ready. He clenched his jaw and nodded his ok.

Ben snapped the delicate bones, but then had to hold on tight as Alec tried to pull away. His brother's face was red from holding in his cry of pain, but he managed to keep quiet and to stay conscious.

"I still have to set it," Ben said.

Alec swallowed hard and said, "I know…"

"You ready?"

"Hold on…" Alec breathed out.

Ben nodded and rubbed Alec's shoulder to try to comfort him. His wrist was so swollen; any small move had to be killing him.

"Ok, I'm ready," Alec said after a moment.

Ben quickly set the bones without any other warning. Alec let out a small squeak and started to sway. "Stay with me Alec," Ben pleaded.

"I'm good," Alec managed to say, but he had lost all of his color and he was blinking like he was trying to bring the room back into focus.

Ben wrapped his arm around Alec's shoulders and Alec immediately leaned against him. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me, huh?" Ben teased.

Alec huffed out a laughed and said, "I wouldn't count on that, brother."

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, I figured."

Alec took in a few deep breaths, and then looked over to Dean, "Ok, I guess we need the brace now…"

Dean moved forward and handed Ben the sturdier of the two braces. "See if that will work."

"Thanks," Ben said before he turned back to Alec. He carefully got the brace over Alec's hand without jostling him too much and fastened the straps.

Dean passed over a bag of ice and said, "Put this on there to try to bring down the swelling."

Ben did as instructed and put the ice on Alec's wrist. Alec stiffened suddenly and Ben looked at his brother to see what was wrong. Alec's focus though was over on the other side of the room. Ben looked for what had startled his brother and saw that John was awake and was watching them.

"It's ok," Ben whispered to his brother. Alec didn't relax, but he didn't take off either.

"You boys ok?" John asked softly.

"Fine," Alec replied shortly before Ben could.

"Be nice," Ben hissed.

"That was nice," Alec shot back.

John stood up and took a step closer to them. Alec tried to move so he was in front of Ben, but he wouldn't let him. Ben had failed at protecting Alec in the woods, but he would give him at least the sense of safety in this new place. Alec was scared; he wouldn't admit it, but Ben could feel it. He would do what he could to give Alec at least a little peace. And he felt better being in front of him. If things went south, he'd be the front line to protect his brother.

"I know you boys have a lot of questions, but we need to get some fluids in you and if you wanna change we have some clothes you can wear," John said.

Ben started to say ok, but Alec elbowed him and said, "Could you give us a second to confer with each other?"

"Yeah, of course," John agreed.

"Empty your pockets and go to the bathroom, but keep the door open," Alec ordered.

Ben sighed, but he didn't stop Alec. If this was the way his brother would feel safe then he'd back him. John nodded and did as Alec said. Sam hopped off of the other bed and went to the sofa where John had been and Dean joined him after a moment.

"Alec, could you at least try to be nice?" Ben whispered.

"Don't say my name so loudly," Alec replied. "I don't want him to hear it and tell them that we aren't going by our designations anymore."

"He's not going to tell on us," Ben argued. "He saved us."

"Yeah, that's what you said earlier, but he's still Manticore," Alec said.

"We need fluids," Ben stated. "We need food too, but we need to start with fluids."

"They could put a sedative in the IV and we'd be out and back at Manticore before you-"

"He helped us. He's not taking us back," Ben cut off.

"How do you know?" Alec stressed. "He has no reason to help us. You think he's doin' this out of the goodness of his heart?"

"He said he has a good reason," Ben tried to soothe. "If we listen to him then we'll find out what that reason is."

"No fluids until after he tells us," Alec stated.

"What about the clothes?"

"We take the clothes," Alec decided. "If we need to make a break for it, it would be better to have more than t-shirts and stolen coats."

"Ok," Ben agreed.

"You can come back now," Alec called out as soon as they were done.

John walked out of the bathroom and raised his eyebrows, silently asking them what they had decided.

"We'll take the clothes, but we're holding off on the fluids until you tell us why you helped us," Alec stated.

John nodded, and then said, "Sam, Dean, get 'em somethin' to change in to."

They both nodded and walked over to a couple of duffle bags on the other side of the room. Sam gave Dean two pairs of pants, two shirts, socks, underwear, and two extra shirts for warmth. Dean brought them the clothes and set them on the bed. Alec helped Ben get up, and then they both quickly stripped off their tattered t-shirts and pulled on the new clothes.

Ben was swaying by the time he was finished from the effort of moving, but Alec helped him back into bed. He saw the concern all over Alec's face, but he quickly waved him off. Alec kept his gaze on him a moment longer, and then looked back to the man he saw as a threat.

John sat on the bed across from them and rested his elbows on his knees. "This is going to be hard to understand," John started. "But I've been looking for you boys for 9 years."

Alec scowled and Ben cocked his head to the side, unsure why this man would be looking for them; how he even knew they existed.

"I'm your father," John stated. Alec started to protest, but John held up his hand to stop him. "Let me explain. When you were born, I held you once before the doctors took you away. They came back a few hours later and told us you had both died. They wouldn't let us see your bodies and they didn't have any definite answers on what happened."

John took a deep breath, and then continued, "Your mother died six months later. There's a lot to explain, but I knew your death wasn't right. I've been looking for you since then and I finally got my first lead a month ago in town. The locals talked about a secret compound outside of the city. I used to be a Marine and I knew a man named Donald Lydecker."

Alec glanced over at him, and he saw the same surprise written all over his brother's face that covered his own. But they both remained quiet for now.

"Lydecker helped me get a job at the compound as security. I was posing as a guard so I could look for you boys. That's why you saw me," John said to Alec. "Both of you were together and it was my best shot at getting you out of there. But you took off when you saw me. I don't blame you for that. The way those guards treated you, I'm surprised you even stopped in the first place. After you ran, it wasn't long before the alarm sounded and I knew you both had escaped."

"How did you find us in the woods?" Alec asked quietly.

"I left the compound as soon as the alarm sounded and started driving down the roads looking for you. I drove around for a day, but there was no sign of where you boys could've gone. I parked a ways from Manticore and decided to start searching the woods. I stumbled on the other guards that had found you two, but I had fallen behind. I heard the gunshot and knew they had found you. I got there just in time to see Er-, um…" John stopped and thought for a moment.

"I was still conscious," Ben told Alec. "I took out the other two guards. You were still out and John had come up. I was going to shoot him, but he didn't act like the other guards. I hadn't killed the man that hurt you and he regained consciousness and tried to attack me. John shot him. He protected both of us, and then carried us to his car."

Alec swallowed as he thought about everything he'd been told. His eyes were down and Ben couldn't tell if he believed them or not. Ben believed him and he wanted that story to be true. If it was, not only did he have a brother, but he had two other brothers and a father. He and Alec had a family.

"Alec," his brother finally whispered. John leaned forward and he couldn't keep the look of surprise off of his face. "My name's Alec."

John smiled and choked out, "It's nice to meet you Alec."

"And I'm Ben," he said after a moment.

"Alec and Ben," John said, his eyes watering with his joy.

John started to get up, but Alec stopped him, "I still don't know about this whole you being our father thing." John sat down again, but he looked like he understood. "But I don't think you're going to hurt us."

That was pretty good for Alec. They didn't trust easily and if Alec trusted John even a little bit, it was pretty good. Alec remembered John from Manticore and now that he thought about it, he did remember seeing John. It was in that hallway before they escaped. They'd been stopped by a guard, but they'd taken off and the guard hadn't chased them.

John gave them both a small smile, "Will you let us give you some fluids now?"

Alec's breathing became a little heavier as he tried to fight against his instinct. His brother looked to him and silently begged him to answer. "Ok," Ben said, leaning so he could brush against Alec in reassurance.

John stood up and motioned for Dean to help him. Dean looked over at them both and smiled encouragingly at them before he followed his dad. Alec watched them closely as they made up two IV bags. He still didn't trust them completely and Ben didn't either, but he didn't think they were going to knock them out and take them back. If they were going to take them back they would've already called someone or taken them back while they had both been sleeping.

Dean was the one that came back over to them with the two IV bags and sat down in front of them. "Alright Alec, let me see your arm," Dean said softly. Alec swallowed hard, but then slowly stretched out his arm. Dean wiped off the spot with alcohol, and then stuck the needle in Alec's vein and taped it there. He rigged up a coat hanger to hold the bag and hung it on the top of the headboard.

Dean moved over to him next and said, "Ok Ben, your turn." Ben didn't argue as he let Dean do that same thing that he'd just done to his brother. Dean patted his knee before he got up and gave them some space.

Ben was worn out from everything that had happened. He was healing from a bullet wound and it had been a stressful day so it made sense that he was tired. Alec looked over to him and gently rubbed his good shoulder.

"You should get some sleep," Alec whispered. "I'll keep watch just in case."

"Alec, you should sleep too," Ben replied.

Alec shook his head, "I can't."

"Alec," Ben sighed.

"I took the fluids," Alec hissed. "I'm not sleeping until I know for sure."

Ben's face softened and he finally nodded his ok. He would let Alec keep watch; it would make his brother feel better and he would keep watch later when Alec was ready to sleep.

"Don't do anything crazy while I'm out," Ben warned.

"I never do anything crazy," Alec said with a small smile.

Ben scooted down in the bed so he could lie down. Alec pulled the covers up over him, and then rubbed his head. His smile widened when Ben frowned at him.

"Why'd you do that?" Ben asked, confused.

Alec shrugged, "I don't know. Dean did that to me earlier and I thought it was nice."

Ben rolled his eyes, "You're weird." He playfully pushed Alec over. Alec made a big show of flopping over and pretending that he'd been pushed harder than he had been.

Alec popped back up though and said, "If I'm weird then you're weird too."

"How do you figure?" Ben asked with a smile.

"We're twins," Alec said simply. "Now go to sleep before you pass out."

"I'm not gonna pass out," Ben grumbled. He was starting to lose his fight with sleep though. His eyes were drooping and he snuggled further against his pillow.

"Sleep well, Ben," Alec whispered.

Ben smiled and closed his eyes.

* * *

Alec waited until Ben fell asleep before he dropped his act. He hurt; his head was spinning from his concussion and from everything John had told them. It didn't seem possible that this man was their father. They had been grown in test tubes, their mothers were just surrogate mothers, and they didn't have a family. But he did believe this man wasn't going to hurt him or his brother. He remembered the guard that had seen them hadn't chased them or called it in. It was a weird thing for a guard to do, which is why it stuck with him.

Even though he didn't think John was going to hurt them, he still couldn't sleep. He'd slept earlier because he'd been exhausted, but he was ok for the moment. He just wanted to be sure that they hadn't put anything funky in the IV bag.

Alec remained on the bed next to his brother and looked over at the other occupants in the room. Dean and Sam were both sitting on the sofa. They were both looking at a screen watching something. He looked at it curiously, but movement to the left drew his attention.

John was in the kitchen looking through the cabinets. He would glance over at him and Ben every so often, but he never said anything.

Alec watched the little family as they interacted. They didn't say much, but he thought they were probably being cautious because of him and Ben.

Dean came over and checked on them after a few hours. He replaced the IV bags and asked if he needed anything, but he just shook his head and Dean went back to the little sofa. He relaxed a little more after that; the first IV bag hadn't done anything funky so he could let his guard down a little bit.

"Dean," John said quietly after a while. They were both across the room and John was trying to be quiet, but they must not know how good his hearing was. "We need to leave soon. Manticore's going to start branching out into town looking for the kids and we shouldn't be here. We need to get some distance from that place."

"Ok," Dean replied slowly.

"I need you to talk to them," John said. "Convince them that coming with us is the best thing for them."

"What if they don't wanna go?" Dean asked.

John didn't reply for a minute, but then he said, "Just talk to them. We'll figure it out if they don't want to go."

"You think I should talk to Alec now?" Dean asked.

"Couldn't hurt," John said with a shrug.

Dean nodded his ok and walked over to his bed. He sat down next to Ben and got right to it, "Alec, we've gotta get you guys out of town. You ok going with us?"

"I have to talk to my brother," Alec said quietly.

"Ok," Dean replied easily.

"Where-where are you going?" Alec hesitantly asked. He had no idea what else was out there. Before he'd left Manticore, he'd been convinced that there was nothing else. He'd only left that place because of Ben, but he hadn't been expecting much.

"I don't know yet," Dean said with a shrug. "Maybe South Dakota…"

"South Dakota," Alec repeated, testing the words. They meant nothing to him, but he liked talking and it had just popped out.

"Do you know where that's at?" Dean asked.

"No," Alec said, shaking his head. "What is it?"

"It's a state," Dean answered. "One of dad's friend's lives there."

Alec bit his lip, "In a house? Or something?"

Dean frowned, "At Manticore did they teach you about geography or cities or anything?"

"No," Alec whispered, his cheeks heating in embarrassment.

"So you have no idea what's out there, do you?"

Alec just shook his head, too embarrassed to admit it aloud.

Dean smiled, stood up, and held out his hands, "K'mere, I wanna show you something."

Alec scowled and looked down at Ben, "I'm not going anywhere without my brother."

"I know. We're not going to leave this room," Dean replied. Alec thought for a second, and then reached for the needle in his arm, but Dean's voice stopped him. "Leave that in for now. Just grab the hanger with the bag on it, and then stand up. Is it ok if I pick you up? That way I can just take you over there."

Pick him up? What did he mean by that? He wasn't hurt badly enough to need to be carried, so it didn't make sense to be picked up. Alec decided he'd just have to find out, so he did as Dean said and stood up, grabbed the hanger, and then looked to Dean to see what to do next.

Dean reached out and carefully lifted him from under his arms, moved him away from Ben, and then situated him on his hip. Alec kept the hanger in one hand and wrapped his other arm around Dean's neck.

"Do you trust me enough to close your eyes?" Dean asked. "This'll be better if it's a surprise."

Alec thought for a moment, but then decided that he would close his eyes for now and trust Dean.

Dean walked around the room after he closed his eyes. Alec wasn't sure what this surprise was going to be, but he hoped it wasn't bad. The only surprises he was used to were surprise wake up calls for more training or surprise trips for examinations. He shivered; he hated the examinations. They were always poking him with needles or taking skin samples and he hated it.

"Are you still cold?" Dean asked, misunderstanding his shiver.

"No," Alec said simply.

Alec heard some fabric rustle, and then a coat was draped over his shoulders. He felt like rolling his eyes, but his eyes were closed still so he refrained for the moment.

"Ok, you can open your eyes," Dean finally said.

Alec didn't waste any time opening his eyes, but his mouth dropped open in shock at what he saw. There were roads and cars. People were walking down the street. Other buildings were across from them. Alec made his eyes focus on the windows of the building straight across and saw tables and chairs and people sitting and eating.

"Whoa," Alec said in awe.

"That's a diner across the street. We'll go to one once we get out of Wyoming. They've got pancakes or burgers and fries. Or the best thing, pie," Dean told him.

Alec had a huge smile on his face and he looked up at Dean and asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Dean said, returning his smile.

"What's that?" Alec pointed to another building.

"That's a store. They've got everything from food to movies to toys," Dean replied.

"Can we go to a store too?" Alec asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

"Can I wake Ben up?" Alec asked. "He's gotta see this."

Dean turned them both around, but Alec had to tear his eyes away from the sight of the outside world. Dean looked to John, who was watching them both, but had a small smile on his face. He glanced over at Ben when Dean looked at him and thought about waking him up.

"Yeah, alright, see if he'll wake up," John said.

Dean brought him back over to the bed, but before he could wake Ben up Dean grabbed his shoulders. "I'll take the needle out now since I don't think you'll sit still for much longer." Alec smiled and let Dean take out the needle. He started to turn to Ben again, but Dean stopped him. "Hold on. Arms in the sleeves," Dean said, helping him get his arms in the sleeves of the coat.

Alec did roll his eyes this time, but he didn't argue. He put on the coat, and then finally turned back to Ben. He carefully kneeled down and shook Ben's uninjured shoulder. "Ben," Alec whispered. "Ben, wake up. You gotta see this." Ben frowned in his sleep, but didn't wake up. "Ben, you were right," Alec said a little louder. "There is more than just Manticore, just like you said."

Ben turned towards his voice this time and his eyes finally opened a crack, "What?" Ben mumbled.

"You were right," Alec said quickly, unable to contain his excitement any longer. "You have to see this. C'mon get up. Dean will even pick you up if you want."

Ben opened his eyes the rest of the way, but Alec was impatient. He grabbed Ben's IV hanger and tried to get his brother moving a little faster.

"Easy Alec," Dean said softly. "He'll see it when he's ready."

"He's really gonna like it though," Alec tried to explain.

"What is it?" Ben asked as he slowly pushed himself to sit up.

"It's a surprise, but it's a good one," Alec promised.

"Ok," Ben slowly replied.

"D'you want me to carry you over there?" Dean asked Ben.

"It's fun," Alec whispered.

"Ok," Ben said again.

Dean took out the needle in Ben's arm so Alec dropped the IV bag to the bed. He watched as Dean picked up his brother, but then he said, "Ben, close your eyes. It's even better that way."

Ben did as he was told and Alec quickly followed Dean and Ben back to the window. He watched his brother's face when Dean told him to open his eyes. The amazement that crossed Ben's face made everything worth it. Ben looked down at him with a huge smile.

"It's real! There's more out there!" Ben said with excitement.

"You were right," Alec said, smiling back at his brother.

Both of their eyes were full of tears; neither of them had much hope that there really was something else out there, but there was. They had made it out of Manticore, they had barely survived the woods, but now they were actually out in the world, they had hope of something else.

"Can you put Ben back down so I can ask him something?" Alec asked Dean. Dean nodded and set Ben down next to him, and then walked a few feet away to give them some privacy but still be close enough in case they needed something. "Ben, they want us to go with them. They want to take us to South Dakota."

"What's that?" Ben asked, leaning closer to him.

"I don't know," Alec replied honestly. "Dean said it's a state. I was going to get more information, but then he showed me what was out there. What d'you think? Should we go with them?"

"They really want us to go with them?" Ben asked, shooting a look over at Sam, Dean, and John.

Alec nodded, "I think we should go, but I wanted to ask you before we made any decisions."

"I think we should go too," Ben said decisively.

Alec smiled and peeked over at Dean and motioned for him to come back. Dean walked over, but Alec gestured for him to come closer so he knelt down beside them. "Yeah?"

"Do you really want us to go with you?" Alec asked.

"You don't have to feel obligated to take us with you," Ben added. "We have training and now that we're out of the woods we can take care of ourselves."

Alec nodded his agreement to make sure Dean knew that they could handle being on their own. He knew it wasn't very convincing at the moment considering his wrist and Ben's shoulder, but he doubted that they had any idea what they were capable of.

"Guys, we want you with us," Dean said. "Dad wasn't kidding when he said he'd been looking for you for 9 years. I know you guys don't believe us, but you're family."

Alec and Ben both looked at each other, and then they both looked to Dean and smiled. "So, when do we leave?" Alec asked.

Dean chuckled, "Slow down, kiddo. Dad's gotta figure out where exactly we're goin' and we've gotta pack. You two," Dean pointed at both of them and gave them a stern look. "Need to go back to bed and rest while we do that."

Alec didn't want to rest; he'd just found out that there was an entire world and now he was delegated back to bed. He wouldn't stand for it; he wanted to go outside and explore. He had felt tired earlier while Ben slept, but now he was energized and ready to go. He wanted to see everything.

Ben elbowed him though before he could argue.

"Ok," Ben agreed.

Alec glared at his brother, but he followed him back to bed. He wasn't a patient kid, but he didn't want to break the rules this early on. He didn't want to mess things up five minutes after agreeing to stay with these people. They might kick him and Ben out if they break the rules and he didn't want to do that to Ben.

"C'mon," Ben whispered to him as they climbed up on the bed. "We don't know the rules with them, so we should do what they say until then."

"I know…" Alec muttered.

"We play it safe until we know for sure," Ben said.

"I know," Alec said again. "I won't mess it up."

"I know you won't. I trust you," Ben said. His brother smiled at him and gave him a little side hug. Alec smiled back at him and got a little more comfortable on the bed. He leaned against his brother and they both looked towards the window and watched the world go by.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	6. Chapter 6

Dean had guessed right; Dad wanted to go to South Dakota. He wanted some help from Bobby, or at least someone to talk to besides him and Sam. He also wanted Bobby's help to make sure Manticore wasn't tracking them.

"Sammy, you packed up?" Dean asked his little brother.

"Yep," Sam said with a smile.

Dean fixed the strap of Sam's backpack and said, "The twins are gonna sit in the back with you, ok?"

Sam's smile widened, "Ok!"

Dean chuckled, and then said, "Sit tight for a second so I can get them ready and you guys can actually meet."

Sam nodded and waited for him. Dean turned back to the bed where Ben and Alec were still sitting. They were both watching him and they had been the entire time. They had been so cute looking out the window with excitement, but then his heart had broken when he started to realize just how terrible their lives had been.

Dean took a deep breath before he grabbed some shoes and another coat for the boys.

"K'mere Alec," Dean said. Alec glanced over at Ben before he scooted forward. He kept his broken wrist close to his body, but he didn't say anything about it. Dean had tried to give Alec and Ben some painkillers, but neither of them would take any.

Dean held out one shoe for Alec to put his foot in, but Alec just looked at him with confusion. "Put your foot in so I can tie it."

"I can put on my own shoes," Alec said.

"Just let me help this time," Dean said. Alec frowned, but he let Dean put his shoes on for him. The shoes were a little big, but they would work until they could get the boys more clothes. The clothes they had were just hand-me-downs from him to Sam and now to the twins. The clothes seemed to fit them ok, but Sam was still wearing most of his old clothes so the boys would need some of their own.

"Dean," Alec said softly, making him look up.

"Yeah kiddo?"

Alec looked at Ben, and then back to him and whispered, "Why do we look like you?"

Dean took a deep breath; he'd been expecting this question, but he didn't know exactly why Alec and Ben looked so much like him. He decided to just go with what he knew, "I guess because we're brothers…" It sounded like a lame excuse but that was all he had.

"But we look _really_ alike," Alec stressed. "Like me and Ben are obviously identical, but you could be our older twin."

"Alec, I don't know," Dean said honestly. "But we're gonna go for a ride and get the Hell out of Wyoming, and then we'll figure it out, ok?"

"Ok," Alec said in a small voice. Dean rubbed Alec's head; he could tell that Alec didn't allow himself to be vulnerable very often and this was obviously bothering him. Dean wanted to do whatever he could to make everything better, but it was going to have to be put on the back burner for now.

Dean picked Alec up from the bed and set him on the floor. He zipped up the coat that his Dad had put on him earlier to try to keep Alec warm. It was February and Alec was still recovering from hypothermia; he needed all the help he could get even if he thought he was fine.

Alec smiled up at him and he couldn't help smiling back; the kid's smile was contagious, "Hold tight for a second, ok?"

"Ok," Alec replied.

"Your turn, Ben," Dean said turning back to the bed. Ben scooted forward and let him put on his shoes and the coat before he picked him up and set him next to his brother. Dean knelt down in front of both of them and said, "You guys are gonna sit in the back with Sammy, ok?"

"Where are you gonna sit?" Alec asked, frowning in concern.

"I'm gonna sit up front," Dean said. Alec looked like he didn't like that, but he didn't say anything. "It's gonna be a long drive to South Dakota and we're going to one of Dad's friends for some help."

"Is your Dad's friend nice?" Ben asked.

Dean chuckled, "He's grumpy, but he's a softie once you get to know him."

"What's a softie?" Alec asked.

"He's got a big heart and a soft spot for kids," Dean replied.

"So he won't hate us?" Alec asked.

"Or be scared of us?" Ben threw in.

"No, he won't hate you or be scared of you," Dean promised softly. Ben and Alec didn't look like they quite believed him, but they just nodded in reply. "We'll probably stop after a few hours, unless you guys need to stop sooner, and get something to eat. If you guys are hungry or need to go to the bathroom or something just tell us and we'll stop, ok?"

"Ok," Ben and Alec said at the same time.

"Alright, now you guys need to officially meet Sammy," Dean said, turning to Sam and motioning for him to come over there.

"Alec, Ben, this is Sammy," Dean said.

"It's Sam," Sam grumbled, but he smiled at the twins and held out his hand.

Alec frowned and cocked his head to the side and Ben looked to his brother to see what to do. Alec finally looked to Dean and asked, "What's he doing? Are we supposed to do something?"

"It's a handshake," Dean said with a smile. Alec and Ben shot him matching looks of confusion so he explained, "You hold out your hand and shake it when you meet someone."

Alec held out his hand but shook it in midair, misunderstanding him. Ben copied him and Dean couldn't help but laugh. Sam laughed too and started shaking his hand in the air. Alec and Ben joined in with laughter even though he could tell they didn't really know what was funny, but they thought shaking was funny.

"No, no, no," Dean finally said, getting them all back under control. "Like this." Dean held out his hand toward Sam, and then they demonstrated shaking hands.

Sam turned to Alec and held out his hand again. Alec gave them a wide smile and shook Sam's hand before he broke out in a fit of giggles. Sam shook Ben's hand too, but the three of them were all laughing again.

Dean rolled his eyes and started ushering them to the door, "Alright, you can giggle some more in the car. Let's get a move on."

They continued to giggle and shake each other's hands as he led them to the car. It was dark outside, which was good because it gave them a little more cover from prying eyes. The boys needed to be seen as little as possible while they were still so close to Manticore. They didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.

Dean got the boys in the backseat; he had tried to get Alec to sit in the middle so he'd be warmer, but he had refused so Ben had taken the middle spot. Dean had buckled them in before he'd gone to the front seat and sat next to his dad.

"You should try to get some sleep," John said to him. "I'll let you drive the second half after we get some food."

Dean smiled and nodded his agreement. He scooted down further in his seat and leaned against the door to get more comfortable. He closed his eyes and let the rumble of the Impala relax him.

It was about five minutes into the drive before Alec decided to get some answers. He asked Sam all kinds of questions; what kind of car they were in, how old Sam was, where they lived, everything Sam did, what his life was like, the list went on and on. One thing Dean knew for sure, Alec really liked to talk.

Ben asked his own questions when he could get a word in between Alec's constant stream of questions. Sam answered everything they threw at him as best he could. He seemed to be enjoying the attention from the twins, and Dean had to admit, the three of them were pretty cute all sitting in the backseat together, getting to know each other.

Dean couldn't sleep; he wanted to hear everything that was said between the three boys. He glanced over at his Dad and saw he was listening just as intently. A soft smile would cross his face every so often, but he never interrupted them.

At one point Dean wondered if Alec would ever run out of questions, but he wanted to know about everything. He moved on to what was outside after a while. He asked what different buildings were and what people did in them.

"You boys hungry?" John asked after a few more hours of driving.

"I'm hungry," Sam said, and then he turned to Ben and Alec, "Are you guys hungry?"

Alec clammed up and Ben stiffened. Dean turned around in his seat and reassured, "We're out of Wyoming, it'll be ok to stop. We'll go to a diner that's open all night and we'll get some pancakes or eggs or something. You like pancakes?"

Alec shrugged and Ben said, "We've never had pancakes before…"

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised.

Ben and Alec nodded, and then John said, "Well, we're gonna have to change that."

"Are they good?" Alec whispered to Sam.

"They're the best!" Sam replied.

They pulled into the next diner that had the lights on and Dad killed the engine. They all got out, and Alec and Ben stuck close to his side. They were still getting used to John, but they seemed to have accepted him and decided that they could trust him.

John told the hostess that they had five and she sat them in one of the corner booths. There were only a couple other customers in the diner, but they were at the bar and didn't even look over at them. Alec and Ben sat by Sam while Dean sat by his Dad.

"Hey guys," An older waitress said as she walked over to them, "What can I get you to drink?"

"Coffee, black," John answered.

"Same," Dean said.

Alec and Ben looked at each other with wide eyes, and Dean knew they had no idea what to order.

"And those three will have milk," John said for them. The twins looked relieved that they didn't have to decide; they probably didn't even know what they liked. "Did you boys like riding in the car?" John hesitantly asked Alec and Ben.

"Yeah, it's really cool!" Alec said excitedly, but then he immediately reined himself in and looked down.

"The Impala's my favorite place in the whole world," Dean told them. Alec brightened up again and actually smiled. It was like a roller-coaster dealing with Alec and Ben; like they didn't know what was ok or not, and they were testing the water to see where they stood.

The waitress came back with their drinks, and then asked, "You guys know what you want?"

"Just give each of us a short stack of pancakes," John answered.

The waitress smiled at them before she walked back to the kitchen. Ben reached out for his glass of milk and took a tentative sip. Alec was watching him closely, and Ben looked over at him and smiled, a milk mustache covered his upper lip. Alec quickly reached out to try his own drink. After a small sip, his eyes widened with delight, and then he drained the rest of the glass.

"Wow, you really like milk," Sam said when Alec set down his empty glass.

"That was delicious," Alec replied.

Ben drank his milk a lot slower than Alec; he savored it instead of drinking it as fast as he could. Alec stood up in the booth after a few minutes and looked around the diner. He was a curious little thing. Ben elbowed his brother's leg and whispered, "Sit down. You're gonna cause a scene."

"I'm not doin' anything," Alec hissed back. "I'm just looking."

"No one else is standing in their seat," Ben pointed out. "You're going to draw attention."

"There's hardly anyone here. Don't worry so much," Alec said. "I just wanna see how it all works."

"How what works?" Dean asked.

"This," Alec said like it was obvious. "All of this."

"You're not makin' sense, kiddo," Dean said. "You wanna know how the diner works?"

"Yeah," Alec said, sitting down again, "How does she get the drinks and the food and how does she make the food? And when it's busy how does she do it all by herself? There're 56 seats in here and I assume it gets busy at some point, so how does she do it?"

"She doesn't do it by herself," Dean explained. "There are more waitresses that come in and they take the orders, and then take it back to the kitchen and that's where the cooks make the food. When the food's done, the waitresses bring it out to the customers."

"That makes more sense," Alec muttered in thought.

"How do they make the pancakes?" Ben asked him.

"They make a batter with flour and eggs and milk and stuff like that, and then they put it in a hot skillet to cook it on one side before they flip it over to cook on the other side," Dean replied. "I'll show you when we get to Bobby's."

Both boys smiled at him and nodded that they would like that. The waitress came back after a few minutes with all of their pancakes and passed them out. The twins were so fun to watch as they tried pancakes for the first time. Their faces were full of joy and they devoured their food. The best part though was when the waitress brought Alec another glass of milk.

He looked up at Dean in surprise and asked, "I'm allowed to have more?"

Dean chuckled and nodded and John said, "You can have as much as you want kiddo."

Dean was pretty sure he'd never seen a smile so big before. Alec and Ben both got seconds on pancakes; they were hungry after all their time in the woods, Dean just hoped they didn't overdo it and make themselves sick.

They left the diner once the boys were done. People were just starting to come in so it was a good time to make a break for it. The less people who saw the boys, the better.

Dean drove this time so his Dad could get some rest. Sam fell asleep first of the three in the back; he leaned against the door and his mouth dropped open in sleep. Alec was the next one to succumb to sleep. He'd been awake for a long time and now that he was full, it was too hard to fight. Ben wrapped his arm around his brother and Alec snuggled against him to sleep. It was a few minutes later when Ben rested his cheek on the top of Alec's head and let his eyes slip closed.

Dean drove his sleeping family all the way to Bobby's house. They must have been exhausted since they slept through the entire rest of the drive.

He pulled into the salvage yard and parked. He nudged his Dad to wake him up before he got out of the car and opened the back door. He rubbed Alec's head, his face scrunched up before he looked over at him with bleary eyes. Dean held out his arms and Alec moved so he could pick him up. Alec wrapped himself around Dean and buried his face against his neck. The kid was drained; he'd forced himself to stay awake while Ben slept earlier, and now he just couldn't do it anymore.

Dad woke Sam up, and then reached in to get Ben out of the backseat. Ben let John pick him up, but he was more awake than his brother was. He was looking around curiously, but he kept himself tucked against John just in case.

Sam ran right up to Bobby's front door and knocked. The older hunter answered after a few minutes, but he only saw Sam. He looked up in surprise, his eyes searching for John. They hadn't called ahead, so he had no idea they were coming. Bobby finally found John, but then his jaw dropped open in shock when he saw Ben.

"Dad found them," Sam answered Bobby's unasked question.

Bobby tore his eyes away from Dad and Ben to find him and he looked back and forth between them. "And you couldn't call?!" Bobby finally yelled. "You show up outta the blue with the boys you've been lookin' for, for 9 years and you don't say anything!"

"Bobby," John sighed. "I had to get them out of there. And once I did, I didn't think about anything but takin' care of them."

Bobby looked like he wanted to argue more, but his gaze locked on Alec and Ben. Alec who was passed out against him and Ben who was clinging to Dad like his life depended on it. "Alright, bring 'em on in," Bobby grumbled, stepping aside so they could come inside.

Alec seemed to suddenly realize that he was in a strange, new place. His grip on Dean tightened and his head shot up, his eyes searching frantically for his brother. Ben seemed to sense Alec's distress because he turned a little in John's arms to nod reassuringly at his brother. Alec calmed slightly for a moment, but his grip didn't loosen. He kept himself as close to Dean as he possibly could and his gaze jumped from Ben to what was around him, and then back to Ben. He was keeping an eye on his brother to make sure he was ok.

"Everything's ok," Dean whispered to Alec. "Bobby's just grumpy, remember?"

Alec looked over at him to see if he was telling the truth. His eyes looked too old for his young face, but he nodded that he remembered after a moment. He snuggled against Dean's neck again and whispered, "Don't leave us, ok?"

"I won't leave you," Dean promised.

* * *

Everything was so new and different. This house they were in was cluttered and stuff covered every surface. Outside there were broken cars stacked on top of each other and he had no idea why. Ben was nervous in this new place and he knew his brother was too. It was a good thing Alec was with Dean; he trusted Dean and wouldn't feel as threatened in this strange place.

That's how he felt about John who had found them and saved them. Alec didn't know how close it had been; without John, they would both be dead. John seemed to really care about them and Ben could tell he was practically holding himself back so he didn't scare them or make them feel uncomfortable.

Bobby cleared off a dingy looking sofa and motioned for John to sit down. Bobby was a grumpy man, Dean wasn't kidding when he'd said that. Ben wasn't sure what to make of the older man yet, but he didn't think John would take them here if it wasn't safe.

John situated him so he was sitting on his lap. He was ignoring all of his training by sticking close to John instead of standing at attention or being ready for a possible threat. But he'd just woken up and he didn't want to scare Bobby. His shoulder hurt anyway and he had been allowed to stay at ease when he'd been injured at Manticore.

Dean sat down beside him and John and Sam sat on Dean's other side. He tried to resituate Alec, but his brother wouldn't budge. Alec had just woken up too, and it was a shock to suddenly wake up in a brand new place. They'd only ever been in Manticore and they only knew three people outside of Manticore; it was unsettling to suddenly be thrown into this. Dean wrapped his arm around Alec and sat back instead of trying to move Alec again.

"How'd you find 'em?" Bobby asked, sitting down in a chair across from them.

Ben only half listened as John went into how he had found them. Not only had he been there for part of it, he'd also already heard this. Instead, he looked around the room and noted anything that could be important. He noted the exits and the things he could use as weapons if he needed them, but he also saw things that didn't make sense. There were small cars around the room, something that looked like an oversized hand and a ball, and something that had two wheels. He wasn't sure what any of that stuff was and he was itching to ask, but he didn't know if he was allowed.

"What is that stuff?" Alec asked. Ben wanted to hit Alec for asking without permission. His brother never followed the rules and that was going to get them in trouble. Alec was in trouble a lot at Manticore, but he never seemed to learn.

"What stuff?" Dean asked back, confused.

"The little cars and that weird thing in the corner," Alec said, pointing to the thing with two wheels.

"They're toys," Dean said, pointing to the cars. "And that's a bicycle. You ride it around for fun."

"What about that?" Ben asked pointing to the hand and ball. He couldn't help it, and since Alec hadn't been yelled at he thought it was ok.

"That's a glove for baseball," Dean said. "It's a sport you can play. Once you guys are healed up we can show you."

"Speaking of which, we should probably check 'em over," John said to Dean. "Check their bandages and get him some ice." John looked over at Alec's wrist when he said ice. Dean nodded his agreement, and suddenly they were both being picked up again. John glanced over at Dean, slightly surprised, and said, "You don't have to get up. Sam or Bobby could get him some ice."

Ben stiffened at that; he couldn't leave his brother. They'd been together since the escape and he was afraid that if they split up then he would lose his brother. Alec looked over at him and his panic at the thought of splitting up was clear.

Dean shook his head no before either of them could protest, "We're not splitting them up."

Ben let out a breath of relief and Alec relaxed against Dean again. "I'm sorry buddy," John said to him. "I wasn't thinking."

Ben snuggled against John's neck to let him know it was ok. John walked into another room and set him on a table. Dean set Alec next to him and his brother immediately scooted a little closer so their arms could touch. John and Dean both moved away from them to get what they needed, but Ben and Alec were both too tired to see what they were doing.

"This is a weird place," Alec whispered to him.

Ben nodded his agreement, and then asked, "Why do you think all those cars are stacked on top of each other outside?"

Alec shrugged, "Who knows? I'm tellin' ya brother, this is a weird place."

Ben laughed a little and nodded again.

Dean walked back first with a bag of ice in his hand. He went over to Alec and silently asked permission to check him over. Alec nodded once and Dean set the bag of ice on the table next to him. He reached out and gently turned Alec's head a little more towards the light. He carefully pulled off the gauze over the cut at Alec's temple to check the stitches beneath.

Ben leaned over a little so he could see too; he wanted to make sure for himself that his brother was ok. Dean had Alec follow his finger after a moment, and from what Ben could see, Alec seemed to be fine with that. Dean rubbed Alec's head and smiled at him once he was done with that, and Alec smiled back at him.

"How much does your wrist hurt?" Dean asked. He picked up Alec's wrist that was in the brace and checked the straps.

Alec shrugged, "It's not so bad…"

Ben could instantly tell his brother was lying.

Dean frowned like he knew it too, but he didn't call him out on it. Instead, he just picked up the bag of ice and situated it so it would have the most effect.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Alec asked curiously. Alec was always curious; Ben was too, but he knew better than to ask or say whatever popped into his head.

"Kinda hard to explain," Dean said, hopping up onto the table to sit next to them. "I help my Dad out a lot and we get into some…rough situations."

Alec was just about to ask what Dean meant about rough situations, but John came back into the room and Alec clammed up. John tried to smile at him, but his brother was stubborn and only stared back. Ben decided staring was better than glaring so maybe Alec was starting to get used to John.

"Alright kiddo, let's see how you're doin'," John said to him. He helped him out of his jacket and shirt, and then carefully undid his bandages. Alec was watching John's every move; he was practically vibrating holding himself back from taking over. They both knew first aid and it was probably killing his brother to just sit back and let someone else help him. He'd felt the same when Dean was checking Alec over.

John examined his bullet wound; he was lucky that the bullet had gone straight through. The shot had been meant to slow him down, but the guards needed to hit him with an electric stick like they had his brother. Those take them down fast, but don't damage them like gunshots do. Manticore would have wanted them back alive if possible, and with as little damage done to them as they could.

John pushed a little around his wound making him suck in a sharp breath. Alec jumped up from the table, dropping the bag of ice, and glared at the older man. So much for Alec getting used to John.

"I'm ok," Ben reassured his brother.

"Where's my gun?" Alec growled.

"Alec," Ben said with a sigh.

"I don't feel comfortable without my gun," Alec ground out.

Ben was just about to tell Alec to drop it, but John spoke before he could, "It's alright. I've got his gun right here." John pulled the gun that Alec had grabbed during the escape out of the back of his pants and handed it over to his brother.

Alec checked his gun to make sure it was loaded, and then looked back to John. "You know the drill. One wrong move…"

"I'm still just trying to help," John replied.

Alec looked unsure. Ben realized that this wasn't the first time Alec had held a gun against John. It must've been when Alec had woken up and he had still been unconscious. Alec was more scared than Ben realized. He'd thought Alec was starting to get used to this new family, but apparently he was wrong.

John cleaned out his wound again, packed it, and rewrapped his shoulder. It didn't take him long before he was done, but Alec stood guard the entire time. "Do you want something for the pain?" John asked him softly.

"No sir," Ben replied with his eyes down.

"We have some pretty strong painkillers," John gently urged. "I just don't want you to be in pain, either of you." John looked over at Alec, but his brother just glared back.

"We can manage," Ben said.

John sighed, but nodded that he wouldn't push the matter. He helped Ben off of the table and got his shirt back on him. John put his hand against his back and he looked up and smiled at the older man. John smiled back at him and rubbed his head.

"What d'you say we get you boys to bed?" John asked them.

"Ok," Ben easily replied. He didn't really want to go to bed, but he would do whatever it took to stay with John and his family. He wanted a family and he didn't want to do anything to mess this up.

"Alec?" John asked over his shoulder. Alec and Dean were both walking behind them; Dean was putting the bag of ice back on Alec's wrist, but Alec was too busy glaring at John to notice what Dean was doing.

Ben scowled at Alec and motioned for him to answer. Alec huffed, and then grumbled, "Fine."

Ben quickly looked back to John to see if he would be mad at Alec's insubordination, but John chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"Dean, go get Sammy and tell him it's time for bed," John said. "I'll meet you upstairs with the boys."

Dean nodded once and walked away from them. Alec watched him go and Ben knew he didn't want the older boy to leave. Alec stayed with him though and followed John up some rickety stairs to a hallway full of doors. John opened the second door on the left to a room with a large bed in the middle.

"You boys will have to share for tonight with Sammy," John said. "We'll get something else set up for you tomorrow, but usually Dean and Sam share this bed so you should all be able to fit. You think this will be ok?"

"Yes sir," Ben replied.

"Where will Dean sleep?" Alec asked.

"He'll sleep on the sofa tonight," John said. "He doesn't mind." Alec didn't say anything, but then Sam ran in so he didn't have to. John ruffled Sam hair, but he scowled and hit John's hand away. "You boys get some sleep, ok?"

"Yes sir," Ben and Sam said at the same time. Alec rolled his eyes and stomped over to the bed to sit down.

"If you need anything, Bobby and I will be in the two rooms across from yours or Dean's downstairs and he can help you." John looked at them one more time before he left the room and closed the door.

The three of them were silent for a minute, listening to John's footsteps walking down the stairs.

"Alright, what should we do first?" Alec asked with a wicked grin. Ben groaned.

* * *

"They ok?" Dean asked him as he walked down the stairs.

John walked back into the living room where Dean and Bobby were both sitting. He sat on the sofa next to his oldest son and nodded, "Yeah, I think they'll be ok for the night."

"I can't believe you found 'em," Bobby muttered, running his hand down his face.

"It wasn't easy," John breathed out. "Still isn't…"

"Alec will come around," Dean reassured. "He's just scared right now."

His boy didn't trust him and it hurt. His youngest son only felt comfortable around him if he had a gun in his hand. He'd thought Alec was getting used to him in the car and at the diner, but that all changed when they got to Bobby's. He should've woken the boys up when they got there and explained things to them before they had carried them inside.

"Which one of 'em is Alec?" Bobby asked with a frown.

"Dean had Alec and I had Ben," John replied.

Bobby's frown deepened, "I thought you said their names were Eric and Hayden?"

"They gave themselves their own names," John said with a small, sad smile. He and Mary had picked the names for the twins long before they were born. Mary had wanted one of them to be named Eric after his own middle name. He'd wanted to find a way to use Mary's middle name, Harriett, but she hated it and the best he could come up with was Harry.

Mary had picked the name Hayden. She'd said he was her little spitfire and he needed a strong name to go with how hard he kicked. She'd told him Hayden was the perfect name because it wasn't Harry, but it started with the same letter as her middle name. Hayden had kicked after she had said his name and she had rubbed her stomach and smiled. She claimed that Hayden liked his name, and then she'd told him to cuddle up with his sweet brother.

She had loved her boys so much. John remembered she would walk around talking to them. She had decided that Eric was the one that made her crave bananas and Hayden had a sweet tooth. She would hum to them just like she had hummed to Sam and Dean. Hayden would instantly calm as soon as she started humming. When Eric was rowdy, she claimed that he was the only one who could calm him. As soon as he spoke she said Eric would just relax and stop turning over.

"Ben and Alec," John said to himself. The names seemed to fit them. Maybe he'd just use Eric and Hayden as their middle names.

"They're cute little things, I'll give ya that," Bobby said, sitting back in his chair. "Look just like Dean."

John chuckled and nodded his agreement, "They look like little clones."

"They believe you're their father?" Bobby asked.

John shook his head, "Ben seems to trust me ok, but Alec won't believe anything I say. He only lets Dean take care of him…" John took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He just had to be patient and let his boys get used to this new situation. He sat up a little more and decided to talk about something else. "But I need to make sure Manticore doesn't know I have them and that they can't find us. They'd practically kill my boys if they got 'em back."

"I'll put out some feelers," Bobby replied. "If they're movin' we'll know. I won't let you go to all that trouble just ta get 'em taken away again."

"Thanks Bobby," John said. He knew Bobby would help him, that's why he came here in the first place. That, and Bobby loved Sam and Dean and John knew he'd love the twins too.

Bobby nodded and adjusted his hat, uncomfortable with the thanks.

A floorboard suddenly creaked above them, making them all look up. "You sure they're ok?" Dean asked.

John hesitated, but then said, "Maybe you should go check on 'em…"

Dean left the room, leaving him and Bobby alone. "I think they'll be ok," Bobby said. "They just need to get settled and realize that you, Sam, and Dean are permanent. That you're not just a temporary safe haven for them, but you're there for the long haul."

"Yeah…patience just isn't what I'm good at…" John grumbled. "I waited 9 years to be able to hold them again and now I've gotta wait even longer until they trust me."

"At least now you know they're alive and safe. That's gotta count for somethin'," Bobby said.

Dean suddenly ran back down the stairs, his eyes were wide with panic, "They're gone!"

* * *

 _More soon..._


	7. Chapter 7

Sam knew they shouldn't go outside; if his Dad found out they were gone then they'd be in huge trouble. But he wanted Ben and Alec to like him and Alec wanted to explore. Ben had tried to talk Alec out of it, but Alec was pretty adamant that they explore their new surroundings.

They'd explored the upstairs first, but that hadn't taken very long. Alec had wanted to go outside after that; the inside just didn't have enough to explore. But they didn't have a way to get outside without going through the front door and they couldn't go that way. If his Dad saw them he'd be pissed. So, they had gone out the window. Alec had just jumped right out and gracefully landed on the ground below.

Sam's mouth had dropped open in shock when he'd done that. He was a little worried though after Alec had landed that he would get left behind. He couldn't jump out of the window like that so he'd have to stay here. But then Ben had told him to get on his back like a piggyback ride, and then had jumped out the window just like Alec had.

"So what's up with these cars?" Alec asked as they walked around the salvage yard. "Why are they all stacked up like this?"

"They don't work," Sam said. "Bobby uses them for parts to fix other cars." Sam thought Alec asked a lot of questions, but from what he could tell, Alec and Ben hadn't experienced very much in their lives. At least not very many good things since they hadn't even known what pancakes were.

"Where does he fix the cars?" Alec asked.

"In the garage over there," Sam said pointing to the rundown building a little ways away.

"We should go there after we walk around the house," Alec said.

"Alec, we should go back inside," Ben pleaded. "If we get caught, we're gonna be in big trouble."

"You weren't scared when we snuck around Manticore when we weren't supposed to," Alec shot back. "We won't get caught so calm down."

Ben rolled his eyes, but didn't argue with his brother. Sam thought they were funny together and it was weird because even though they were twins, they were pretty different from each other. But Sam could tell they were close; they were like him and Dean. They only had each other, just like he and Dean only had each other.

"What do you guys do?" Alec asked as they walked. "How did your Dad know how to infiltrate Manticore? Do you live here? Or do you live in the car? Or in that room we were in before? Do you do drills? Or training exercises? What does-"

"Alec," Ben cut off. "Stop it with the questions for a minute."

"You're not curious?" Alec shot back. "You just blindly trust these people without wanting to know anything about them. That definitely goes against our training. I'm surprised at you Ben."

"I want to know, but you don't just list every question you can think of as fast as you can," Ben chastised.

"It's ok," Sam reassured. "I can't answer them all, but I can tell you some, if that's ok?"

Alec gave his brother a smug look and said, "Some is better than none."

"We don't live here," Sam said, trying to think back on all the questions Alec had asked. "We visit a lot and stay for a while when we are here. We move around a lot and stay in motels, but sometimes we sleep in the car. The rest is kinda hard to explain, and Dad or Dean should be the one to explain it to you. But I go to school when I'm not doing…other things…"

"That sounds mysterious," Alec said with a mischievous smirk.

"Alec," Ben growled in warning.

Alec scowled at his brother, but then both of them froze. "What is it?" Sam asked, concerned.

Alec groaned and Ben looked at Alec in accusation, "What was it you said?" Ben asked sarcastically. "We won't get caught?"

"Shut up," Alec muttered.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sam asked, still not sure what was going on.

"Your Dad just yelled your name," Alec muttered. "So they know we're missing."

Sam frowned; they were too far away from the house for Alec or Ben to hear them.

"And now we're going to get in trouble because you couldn't just sit still," Ben said angrily. "We're gonna have to leave now because of your curiosity."

Alec turned to his brother with fire in his eyes, "I'm not the one who broke the only rule we were not supposed to break! You're the one who wanted to leave Manticore, not me! And we should've left this morning anyway! We've gotta keep on the move so we don't get caught for real. And if that happens, we might as well be dead 'cause the alternative's gonna be a lot worse."

"I didn't make you leave with me!" Ben shouted. "And all they've done is help us! The least we could do is follow the rules!"

"You weren't gonna leave there without me! You even said so!" Alec yelled. "We agreed that we could only trust each other and now you want to just trust whatever they say?!"

"You seem to trust Dean just fine," Ben accused. "But if you wanna go so bad, then go. I'm not stopping you."

A flash of hurt crossed Alec's eyes for a moment before they hardened again. "I should've never left with you," Alec said, his voice cold. "I nearly died because of you, and now I have to run for the rest of my life."

"And I have to get in trouble because of you," Ben said evenly.

"I guess you won't have to worry about that anymore," Alec muttered. "Have a nice life with your new family, Ben."

"Don't get yourself killed, 494."

Alec really looked hurt this time, and he couldn't cover it up. Sam wasn't sure what 494 meant, but it struck a nerve. Sam could hear footsteps heading their way now; he looked over to see Dad, Dean, and Bobby running towards them. He was grateful to see them since they would know how to get Alec and Ben to work this out. But when he looked back to Alec and Ben, he was alarmed to see that Alec was no longer there.

* * *

Ben had gone too far. Alec didn't care that they argued; he only cared that Ben had used his designation instead of his name. He liked his name; his name gave him identity and gave him purpose. Without his name, he was no one.

He took off before Dean could find them. He felt bad for leaving without even saying goodbye, but this was the best way to stay under the radar. Manticore would be looking for them, and he didn't think a couple of ordinaries would be able to protect them.

He hadn't meant to get them in trouble, but he was just defective. He never could follow the rules, but he'd been planning on a way to talk them out of trouble. That was, until Ben called him 494. He'd never wanted to leave his brother, but that had hurt. His chest hurt with how much Ben's jab had affected him. The only person he trusted had turned his back on him for a bunch of people they had just met.

Alec swallowed hard and fought the tears that started to fill his eyes. He was alone. He'd been alone at Manticore, but then he'd found Ben and hadn't been alone anymore. Now he was back to being alone.

Oh no, the tears were starting to fall. He could hardly see straight with all of the tears. He'd have to stop before he could really make a break for it. He'd have to get it all out, and then he'd be able to focus.

He looked up at the teetering pile of broken cars. He jumped up to the top car, forced the door off its hinges, and curled up in the front seat. He'd cry about being alone again, about losing his brother, and about being lost and afraid. He'd get it all out before he left for real. He had to get his head wrapped around never seeing his brother again.

A fresh sob broke free and his heart felt like it was being torn from his chest.

* * *

He'd gone too far. He should've never called Alec by his designation. His brother was gone and he'd never see him again. He couldn't breathe. His chest was too tight and he needed his brother.

"Ben!" Someone shouted in concern.

He was hyperventilating. Alec was gone and he would never see him again. He fell to his knees. Arms circled around him, but they weren't the arms he needed. He should've never said that. He'd just been angry and had wanted to hurt him.

"Ben, shh, what's wrong?" John asked. "Try to take slower breaths. You're gonna pass out if you keep this up."

Ben tried to calm down, but he couldn't do much. Alec needed to be here. He needed his brother.

"Where's Alec?" John asked.

Ben's breathing became worse. He didn't know where Alec was because Alec was gone. He was gone forever and he would never see him again.

"Sam, what happened?" John asked when he didn't answer.

"They were arguing, and I don't know what happened," Sam said desperately. "One minute Alec was here and the next he was gone."

"Dean, let's spread out and search the yard and by the creek," Bobby said. "Maybe we can catch him before he gets too far."

They wouldn't. If Alec was really gone then they would never find him.

"I…said…th-the…wrong thing…" Ben tried to say, gasping for air. "I-I…went…too far…"

"It's ok, we'll find him," John tried to reassure. "He's not leaving for real."

Ben could tell John wasn't so sure about that, but he was trying to remain optimistic for his sake. He prayed that Alec hadn't left; that he was just cooling off and would come back to him. He needed his brother; he was having a panic attack right now and it was his own fault.

* * *

Dean's chest was tight with the thought that Alec was gone. They'd just gotten the twins back, and they might've already lost one of them. He'd be crushed if they really couldn't find Alec again; the kid was so cute and Dean wanted to teach him everything. And he knew Ben wouldn't be able to function without his brother.

"Alec," Dean called out, hoping he would answer him as he walked through the maze of wrecked cars. He didn't get a reply, but he was going to keep looking.

He really didn't know where to start since he still didn't know Alec that well. If Sam had been the one to go missing, the first place he'd look would be the library or somewhere musty like a library would be. His Dad would be in a garage or a bar. He knew these things because he knew Sam and his Dad. He didn't know Alec so he didn't know where he would hide.

The only thing he did know was that Alec and Ben had a bond that would be almost impossible to break. Whatever had happened had hurt Alec, but he wouldn't be able to immediately leave. If it was him, he would've lost it privately before he made his next move.

He walked down another row of cars, but stopped when he heard a small sniffle. He spun around for where it could've come from, but there was no sign of Alec. He frowned when he saw a door to one of the cars lying in the middle of the path. He looked for which car it could've come from and saw it was the top car, four cars up.

"Alec?" Dean asked hesitantly. There was no answer, but Dean was pretty sure Alec was up there. "Kiddo, it's me," Dean said, trying to get Alec to at least say something. "You willing to come down here, or are you gonna make me come to you?" Alec still didn't answer, and Dean sighed. "Alright…I'll be up there as soon as I figure out how…"

Dean slowly started to climb up to the top car. He hated heights, but he'd do this for Alec. It took him a few minutes, but he finally reached the top car and found Alec curled up in the front seat. His eyes were red from crying and tears made tracks down his cheeks. He looked over at him once he was up there, and immediately the tears started falling again.

Dean got inside and scooped Alec up and held him against his chest. Alec grabbed ahold of his shirt and cried. Dean rubbed his back and tucked Alec under his chin. He rocked slightly and tried to soothe, "Shh, it's ok Alec, it's ok…" He ran his hand over Alec's buzzed head and held him close.

Alec slowly calmed down after about 5 minutes, but he kept his hands fisted in Dean's shirt and just breathed deeply as if trying to memorize him.

"Were you really gonna leave?" Dean asked softly once he thought Alec had settled down enough to actually answer him.

Alec's breath hitched, but then he nodded.

"Why?" Dean asked, trying to keep calm. "I thought we were starting to get along…"

Alec nodded again, and then said barely above a whisper, "I had to…"

"What happened? I thought I was gonna teach you guys how to make pancakes and ride a bike and play baseball…" Dean's chest got tight thinking about all of the things he wanted to show the twins, but was about to miss out on.

"Ben doesn't want me here…I messed up…"

Dean frowned, unsure what Alec meant. "Alec, I'm not following ya kiddo."

Fresh tears started to fall again as Alec confessed, "I just wanted to explore…We were gonna get in trouble and I was gonna take the fall, but we started fighting…He wants to stay, and I wanna stay too, but it's too dangerous."

"Alec, we're used to danger. Believe it or not, we know how to take care of ourselves," Dean reassured. "And I know that's not the only reason you took off…"

"How?" Alec asked, looking up at him with a frown.

Dean hesitated, unsure if he should really tell Alec how alike they were. He didn't want to freak the kid out. But he didn't want to hide things from Alec so he said, "I knew you wouldn't be gone yet because you did exactly what I would've done. The person closest to you hurt you pretty badly and you needed to have a private break down before you decided what to do next."

"It was stupid," Alec said quietly.

"I'm sure it wasn't stupid," Dean said. Alec didn't say anything, so Dean guessed, "I know he didn't hit you because you probably would've just hit him back…" Alec still didn't say anything. "Words always hurt more than fists anyway…He said something, didn't he?"

Alec looked down in shame, "He called me 494…"

Dean frowned again, but Alec didn't help him out. "I'm not following again," Dean said after a moment.

"That's the end of my designation from Manticore. 331845739494…that's the whole thing, or X5-494 is the short version. I didn't have a name until I met Ben," Alec admitted. "494 is a nobody…" Alec's tears started falling silently down his cheeks again. "I'm nobody…"

Dean hugged Alec tighter, "Alec, you're not a nobody. I met you two days ago and I already can't stand the thought of you leaving. You're so many things Alec. I know you're tough because you have a broken wrist and you haven't complained once about it. I know you're loyal and protective just by watching you with Ben. I know you're curious from all of the questions you ask and because you went exploring. I know you don't trust people, but you trust Ben. And I know you've been through hell just by looking at you, but you made it through and that's what matters. There's even more to you that I don't know about yet, but I would like to. But I can't do that if you leave."

"I trust you too," Alec whispered against his chest. "I didn't want to leave…"

"Alec, Ben doesn't want you to leave either," Dean promised softly. Alec looked up at him with his big green eyes and Dean saw the hope in them. "We found him and Sam and he freaked out once we got to him. I'm almost positive he regrets saying that to you and I know he doesn't want you to leave."

"But I'm a screw up," Alec said. "I screwed up and broke the rules and got us caught. We'll get in trouble."

"Alec, if Dad's mad, it's only because he cares about you and Ben. He spent nine years looking for you two and he doesn't want to lose you ever again," Dean said.

"He won't kick us out?" Alec asked.

"No," Dean promised. "He might yell for a while, but he'd never kick you out."

"Promise?" Alec asked. He hid his face against Dean's chest and snuggled closer.

"I promise," Dean replied. Dean looked around after a moment and said, "Now c'mon, I think it's time to get down from here and go see your brother."

Alec nodded and looked up at him again. Dean gently brushed away the tears on his cheeks and gave him a small smile. He kissed Alec's forehead, but Alec frowned and looked at him curiously. "What was that?"

"A kiss," Dean explained. "A kiss can make everything better. That's what my mom used to say." He rubbed Alec's head again and asked, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Alec said. He got up, and then before Dean could stop him, he jumped from the car to the ground.

"Holy shit," Dean breathed out.

Alec looked up at him from the ground with his head cocked to the side and asked, "What does holy shit mean?"

"You could hear that?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Alec said with a nod, and then repeated, "What does holy shit mean?"

"It's a bad word and you shouldn't say it," Dean muttered, shaking his head. He turned and slowly started making his way down the pile of cars. "How did you do that?" Dean asked when he finally got to the bottom.

"Do what?" Alec asked.

"Jump down here from up there," Dean said. He picked Alec up without even thinking about it, and Alec wrapped his arms around his neck.

"I have cat DNA, which means I can jump higher, have better balance, great hearing and eyesight…" Alec listed. "There's more, but I don't want to list them all."

"Alright," Dean replied easily. He was really surprised that Alec had told him that much. And he was overjoyed that Alec hadn't left for real. He didn't want to lose his little brother right after meeting him.

* * *

Alec snuggled against Dean's neck as the older boy walked. He was glad that Dean had found him, and he felt utter relief that he'd see Ben again. He'd felt terrible, actually sick to his stomach, with the thought of leaving his brother.

He thought it was weird that he and Dean shared something. It was obvious that they looked alike, but Dean knew he wouldn't leave yet because he said that's what he would've done. They shared something, which might be why he trusted Dean so much.

"Alec?" Ben asked in surprise. His voice was breathless, but it was enough to get his attention.

Alec pushed against Dean's chest a little so he could get down, and Dean instantly set him on the ground. Alec was running towards his brother before he could even think about what he was doing.

Ben was on his feet too, running as fast as he could towards him. They collided, and then the tears started falling again. He felt like a cry baby, but he'd really missed his brother in the few minutes they had been apart. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, both of them crying and apologizing at the same time.

"Alec I'm so sorry!"

"No I'm sorry! I should've listened!"

"I should've never called you that! I went too far!"

"I shouldn't've left! I missed you!"

"Never leave me again! Please! I can't lose you!"

They went on like this for a few minutes before they slowly started to calm down. They were clinging to each other like the other would disappear if they let go.

"Alec, I'm so sorry," Ben whispered. "I should've never called you that."

"It's ok Ben," Alec replied. "I should've listened to you."

"Please don't ever leave me again, ok?"

"Ok," Alec said. He never wanted to leave his brother again.

"We'll fight, but next time just hit me," Ben said. "I'd rather that than lose you."

"I'm sorry Ben," Alec breathed out.

"I was so scared you weren't gonna come back," Ben admitted. "I thought I was never gonna see you again."

"I won't ever leave you again, brother," Alec reassured.

* * *

"You've got yer hands full, that's for sure," Bobby muttered as he and John sat in the living room again. John ran his hand down his face and took in a shaky breath. "Dean staying up there with 'em?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah," John breathed out. "He's gonna keep an eye on 'em…Alec feels better with him up there anyway."

"That boy's gonna be a handful," Bobby said with a small chuckle. "At least you've got Ben to try and reel him in."

John huffed out a laugh, "I should've showed 'em around, showed 'em where they were living and explained things to them…But I wanted them to get some sleep before anything else…"

"This is all new," Bobby reassured. "It's gonna take some time to learn how to deal with 'em."

"Not even three days and I almost lose one of 'em," John said, shaking his head.

"He's never gonna leave again," Bobby said knowingly. "Not unless his brother does too."

John leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands, "How do I get him to trust me?"

"It's just gonna take time. It's a learning curve, but I know for sure, as long as you protect his brother you'll gain points with him," Bobby said.

John took a deep breath and nodded. "I just wish I could've found 'em sooner. This would be a lot easier if they were younger and I could've saved 'em a lot of pain…"

* * *

Dean woke up sweating the next morning. Alec was against his right side with his arm flung over his chest and his face pressed against his shoulder. Ben was as close to Alec as he possibly could be with his arm across Alec's body and gripping Dean's t-shirt. Sam was on his left side with his arm across his stomach and his head rested on his arm. His brothers were very warm, but he was really just glad that they were all still here.

Alec and Ben had fallen asleep almost instantly once he got them into bed. Sam had snuggled in next to him and they'd talked for a while before Sam fell asleep too.

He slept for a while, but he was worried that the boys would disappear if he stayed asleep for too long. He wanted to keep an eye on them and keep them safe since they seemed to trust him. But he hadn't expected to be this hot.

His attention was suddenly drawn to the door as his Dad slowly opened it a crack. A slow smile crossed his face when his eyes landed on them and he took a step inside. "You doin' ok?" Dad asked.

Dean nodded, "They're just really hot."

Dad walked further inside and sat next to Sam. "They're wiped out…"

"It's been a lot to take in," Dean said. "…But when they wake up…I was gonna make pancakes with them…"

Dad smiled and nodded, "I think they'd like that."

"You can help too," Dean suggested. "And Bobby can too if he wants."

Dad ran his hand through his hair and looked to the door, "I don't know…I don't want to make things difficult."

Dean sighed, "Dad, they aren't gonna start trusting you if you avoid them." Dad didn't say anything, but Dean could tell that he was thinking about it. Alec suddenly turned his face and snuggled against him. Dad saw him move and it looked like he was about to take off, but he forced himself to stay.

"Dean?" Alec mumbled against him.

"Yeah kiddo?"

"Can I ask a question and not get in trouble?"

"Yeah Alec, you can ask me whatever you want," Dean said.

"What time is breakfast?" Alec asked.

Dean chuckled and said, "Whenever you boys all wake up and we make it. Are you hungry?"

Alec nodded, and then tried to scoot even closer. "You're warm…" Alec muttered.

"That's 'cause I've got three little heaters all over me," Dean teased.

"Dean?"

"Yeah Alec?"

"Can I ask another question?"

Dean chuckled again, "Yeah, you can asked another question."

"When will Ben and Sam wake up?"

"Hey, Alec…" Dad said hesitantly. Alec's eyes immediately flew open, but he remained where he was. "You don't have to stay in bed until they wake up if you don't want to…"

"Really?" Alec asked back, slightly suspicious.

Dad gave him a small smile and said, "Really." Dad slowly stood up and took a step closer. "I could show you around if you want?"

"Could I see the wrecked cars and the place where Bobby fixes them?" Alec asked, his excitement starting to show.

"I think I could arrange that," Dad replied. He reached out, and Alec still hesitated, but then eventually untangled himself from them. Dad picked Alec up and couldn't help himself from holding him close. "You're gonna need some shoes and a coat though…" Dad said.

"I know where Dean put them," Alec quickly said. Dad set him down and he immediately ran to the closet and grabbed one of the coats and pulled it on before he shoved his feet into his shoes. "Ok, I'm ready. Can we go outside now?"

"Yeah, we can go outside now," Dad said, smiling.

"Can you tell Ben where I went if he wakes up?" Alec asked him.

"Yeah, I'll tell him," Dean reassured.

"We'll be back," Dad said, putting his hand against Alec's back and steering him to the door. Alec actually smiled up at Dad and walked with him out of the door.

* * *

John had to be sure he didn't mess this up. Alec had agreed to hang out with him and this could be his only chance to convince his son that he wasn't a bad guy.

"Am I allowed to talk without permission?" Alec asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Yeah buddy, you can talk without permission," John reassured.

"And you promise that no matter what I say, I won't get in trouble and neither will Ben?" Alec asked.

"I promise," John said.

"If we really are your sons, then how come Manticore told us all we were grown in test tubes?" Alec asked.

"Well, I don't know the exact answer, but I'd guess that they might not what to give you hope that something else was out there," John said. "If you had families then you wouldn't be able to be controlled."

Alec nodded, but then asked, "Why did you think my name was Hayden? I didn't even have a name until Max gave me one."

"Your Mom and I named you boys before you were born. Ben's name was Eric after my own middle name and your Mom named you Hayden because it started with the same letter as her middle name."

"Who's older?" Alec asked as they walked outside, but he quickly continued before John could answer. "I mean, Ben is 493 and I'm 494 so I'm assuming that Ben is older, but I would like some confirmation."

"You're the youngest," John said. "Ben is about 12 minutes older."

"How old is Sam?"

"He's 11 right now, but he'll be 12 in May," John answered.

"How about Dean?"

"He turned 16 a few weeks ago," John said.

"You and Dean both know how to drive the Impala, does Sam know how to drive and when can I drive?"

John threw his head back and laughed, "No, Sam doesn't know how to drive yet and you won't learn until you're older."

Alec hesitated, but then quietly asked, "Are you going to keep us long enough for me to learn?"

John stopped and kneeled down in front of his youngest son, "Alec, I'm going to keep you and Ben forever. You're my boys just like Sam and Dean are my boys. Ben's your brother and Sam and Dean are your brothers too. And I'm your father. We're a family, kiddo. We're a family forever."

"Ok," Alec said with a small nod.

John wasn't sure if Alec believed him or not, but his boy hadn't run away from him yet so maybe this was working at least a little bit. "Do you want to see the garage now?"

Alec smiled and nodded, so he stood up again and started in the direction of the garage. "How old do I have to be before I can drive?" Alec asked, instantly jumping back into their conversation.

"Well…I taught Dean when he was pretty young…" John said, trying to think back. "But that was only for emergencies."

"But, what if Dean isn't around and there's an emergency?" Alec asked. "I think it would be wise to have someone else know how to drive too."

John chuckled, "We'll see, kiddo." He rubbed Alec's head and pulled him against his side. "For now, let's just look at some cars, ok?"

"Ok," Alec agreed.

His boy took off so he could get to the closest car faster. John smiled and followed after him, but he frowned when he saw something on the back of his neck.

"Alec, k'mere for a second," John said, kneeling down again. Alec ran back over and stood in front of him, looking at him curiously. "Can you turn around for me? I thought I saw somethin' on the back of your neck…"

Alec turned, but tried to look back at him to see what it was. John's eyes widened when he saw a barcode tattooed on the back of his boy's neck.

"What is it?" Alec asked when he was unable to see what John was looking at.

"Alec," John breathed out in shock, and then muttered to himself, "What did they do to you…"

"What is it?" Alec asked again, impatiently.

"They tattooed a barcode on the back of your neck," John whispered.

Alec shrugged, "Well yeah, how else would they tell us all apart? And I don't think they tattooed it onto us. We've always had it forever."

"Ben has one too?"

Alec nodded and turned around to face him again. "331845739494. That's my designation. That's what my barcode says. I didn't have a name until Ben found me and he had Max with him and she gave me a name."

John blinked away tears and restrained himself from grabbing Alec and holding him as close as he could. He cleared his throat after a moment and said, "She gave you a good name, son. Alec fits you."

Alec gave him a small smile, and then asked, "Can we see if Ben and Sam are awake yet so we can make pancakes?"

John chuckled, "Yeah, we can go see if they're up."

John stood up again and turned back to the house. "Are you gonna make pancakes with us too?" Alec asked.

"I will if you want me to," John said hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Alec said with a nod.

John rubbed Alec's head and his youngest son looked up at him with a wide smile.

* * *

Alec ran up the stairs so he could see if his brother was awake yet. He really wanted pancakes and he didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted to explore and not get in trouble this time. But first he wanted to eat. John followed him inside, but he thought John was ok for now and he didn't think he would take them back to Manticore.

He opened the door and found that Ben and Sam were still asleep. Dean smiled at him though and said, "Hey kiddo, did you see anything cool?"

"There are a lot of cool cars out there," Alec said, climbing back onto the bed. "Can we wake them up and make breakfast now?"

"Here," Dean said, "Let's just get up and maybe they'll wake up."

John picked him up again and set him back on the ground so Dean could get up. Sam finally started to wake up, and Ben slowly followed.

"Alec?" Ben mumbled.

"Ben, it's time to get up and make pancakes," Alec said.

Ben grumbled a little, but then got up.

Alec took off down the stairs again and beat everyone else to the kitchen. He didn't know how to make pancakes, but he knew it was going to be in the kitchen. He was practically jumping up and down waiting for everyone else to come down. He just wanted food.

"Alright boys," John said, walking into the room. "Listen to Dean because he knows what he's doing, but don't mess with the stove, ok?"

"Yes sir," Alec and Ben said at the same time.

"Alright, let's grab a couple of chairs so you guys can reach," Dean said. They grabbed the kitchen chairs and brought them over to the counter. Alec and Ben both stood on one and watched as Dean grabbed a couple of bowls and some ingredients.

He let them stir after he poured in the different things. Alec spilled some of the flour and the stuff got everywhere. Ben laughed at him so Alec threw some of the stuff at his brother.

Dean, Sam, and John all laughed, and Dean took the bowl away from him before he could throw any more.

"Alright, so you mix everything together," Dean said, and then headed for the stove where John had gotten out what he'd called a skillet. Dean scooted their chairs closer, but said, "Don't cross this line, ok?"

Alec and Ben nodded and Dean handed John the bowl of the gunk. John dipped out some of the gunk and put it on the skillet. Alec and Ben both watched and waited until John flipped the pancakes over. They were brown now and Alec's eyebrows rose in surprise. He knew how they were supposed to look from eating them yesterday, but he hadn't expected the gunk to actually look like a pancake.

John waited a little bit, and then took the pancakes off of the skillet. He put more gunk in the skillet and waited again. Alec was getting impatient again, but Ben elbowed him before he could say anything.

"Alright, who wants to eat," John finally said.

Alec grabbed his chair and quickly brought it back to the table. John passed out the pancakes and Alec drowned his in syrup before he dug in. It wasn't so bad here and he was really starting to like his new family.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	8. Chapter 8

"47, 48, 49, 50!" Ben yelled. He opened his eyes and took off through the salvage yard in search of Alec, Sam, and Dean. He and Alec had recently been taught how to play hide-and-go-seek, but they both already loved it.

Dean had promised to teach them how to ride a bike and play baseball, but he wanted to wait until his shoulder had healed and Alec's wrist was better. But he had taught them how to play hide-and-seek until he could teach them the other things.

He and Alec took this game very seriously. In fact, Dean had to tell them to tone it down a little after the first couple of rounds. But they couldn't help it. At Manticore this wouldn't have been a game, it would have been a training exercise that they would've had to excel at if they didn't want to get punished. They had toned it down some, but it was still difficult for Sam or Dean to find them when they were it.

This time Ben was determined to find Alec first. His brother was avoiding being it, but this time he wasn't getting out of it. He could find his brother anywhere; he just had to be patient and try not to find Sam or Dean first.

Ben ran around the house, but he kept his eyes up. Sam and Dean were usually on the ground, but since he and Alec were enhanced, they usually hid up high. Alec especially liked heights and there were more places to hide up high.

He slowed down after he finished one circle around the house and made his way over to the garage. He didn't really like the garage, but he knew Alec did. He didn't really see the appeal of the garage and the tools made him nervous. He didn't like Alec hanging around there since his brother was so reckless. He didn't know what all of the tools did, but they looked dangerous and some of them reminded him of the medical instruments from Manticore.

He snuck inside the garage, but his chest felt tight. He felt like he shouldn't go in here, that it wasn't allowed. He had to check it though if he wanted to find Alec.

He stopped suddenly when he heard a low growl. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he dropped into a defensive stance. His heart pounded as he slowly stepped towards the threat. A large dog came out of the shadows and growled at him again. His eyes widened in fear; he hated dogs.

He wanted to run, but his feet were frozen. Dogs were bad. Dogs chased them and bit them and tracked them down. The dog barked and that was enough to unfreeze him. He turned and sprinted out of the garage, but the dog was hot on his heels.

"Alec!" Ben called out in fear.

He wanted to run as fast as he could, but since his shoulder was injured, it hurt to even run as fast as he was going. The dog was gaining on him; he could already imagine its teeth tearing into his skin. He'd hated the dogs at Manticore and he hated this one too.

The dog suddenly yelped behind him and he turned to see what had happened. Alec rolled off of the dog from just tackling it and stood protectively in front of him. The dog got back up and snarled at Alec, but he just growled back. Ben felt utter relief seeing his brother there even though they could both be attacked by the dog now. But their odds were better together.

"Ben, get back to the house," Alec said, but he kept his gaze locked on the dog.

"No," Ben instantly refused. He wasn't leaving his brother alone out here. He'd been afraid of the dog, but now that Alec was here he felt braver.

Alec growled again, but Ben knew this time was because he was frustrated instead of trying to be threatening. "Ben," Alec started, but he took his focus off of the dog for a split second, which was enough for the dog.

The dog lunged and Ben immediately moved to get between the dog and his brother. He was ready for the attack, but it never came.

"Hey!" Dean suddenly yelled, making the dog stop in its tracks. "Knock it off!" Dean looked really mad, but his gaze softened when he looked away from the dog and over at them. "You guys ok? Did he get you?"

Ben shook his head no, "He didn't get us."

"Good," Dean breathed out, walking the rest of the way to them.

"What's going on?" Sam asked breathlessly, running over from behind a stack of cars.

"Rumsfeld tried to get the boys," Dean replied. He walked over to the dog and scratched behind its ears. Ben was afraid that the dog was going to bite Dean, but he didn't. He seemed to like having his ears scratched. Dean knelt down and looked back to them. "Guys, this is Rumsfeld. He's Bobby's watch dog. He's still a puppy so he's a little overeager."

"So he won't bite us?" Alec asked with a huff of disbelief.

"No, he won't bite you once he knows that you're friends," Dean said.

"I don't know…Cats and dogs don't really get along…" Alec muttered, still uneasy about the dog.

"I won't let him get you," Dean promised.

Ben looked to Alec to see what he thought, but his brother was focused on the dog. He took a hesitant step forward, trusting Dean to protect him. Ben sighed, but followed Alec's lead. At least if he was next to his brother, he could protect him a little easier if the dog did attack.

Alec slowly reached out to touch the dog. He touched the top of its head, and then smiled. "His ears are soft!" Dean chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Ben, you should pet him," Alec said, turning towards him.

Ben couldn't help his smile as he petted Rumsfeld. The dog's eyes closed; he seemed to really like being petted. Maybe not all dogs were bad.

"Will he chase us again?" Ben asked Dean. Rumsfeld was ok around Dean, but when Dean was gone the dog might chase them again.

"No, he won't chase you again," Dean reassured. "He just didn't know who you were and you probably snuck up on him and he wasn't expecting that."

Ben wasn't so sure still, but Alec seemed to accept it.

Dean frowned suddenly and turned towards him. "Looks like you might've reopened your bullet wound…" Ben looked down to see that blood was starting to stain his shirt. "C'mon, let's go inside and getcha cleaned up."

* * *

Alec followed his brother and Dean back inside with Sam walking beside him. He was still amped up from taking on the dog. He didn't like dogs any more than Ben did, but it was a rush to face off with an enemy. He loved the feeling of adrenaline in his veins.

But he had way too much energy to sit and wait for Ben to get patched up again. He needed to do something and he felt ok leaving Ben with John and Dean. He just had to make sure Ben was ok if he left him alone with them.

"Ben-" Alec started.

"You don't have to stay with me," Ben interrupted knowingly. "Go run it off or something."

Alec gave his brother a small smile and stopped and let Ben, Sam, and Dean go on without him. Dean looked back at him questioningly, but Ben tugged on his arm to keep going and said, "Alec's got too much energy right now. He's gonna run it off before he comes back."

Dean looked back at him again, but he nodded and took off the other way. It felt good to run; he wasn't going to go far, but he had to do something. One good thing about Manticore was that he had plenty of time to exercise and burn off energy. One bad thing about that was they usually pushed him past his limit. They would make him run on the treadmill until he passed out from exhaustion.

But this was the good kind of running. This would calm him down a little and maybe by the time he was done, Ben would be all patched up and they could play again. He didn't know what the catch was going to be, but so far he liked Bobby's place. They got to run around and actually have fun and they didn't have to do drills or follow orders, and best of all they could talk without permission and ask whatever they wanted.

He hadn't been expecting a dog though. That had almost ruined their paradise. The dogs at Manticore were vicious and they were all scared of them. If they couldn't run fast enough on the treadmill, then they'd be taken outside to be chased by the dogs. It was easy to find a secret stash of speed when the alternative was sharp teeth tearing into your flesh.

He shivered just thinking about it. He'd been bitten more than once and he really hadn't been looking forward to being bitten again. But Ben had needed him and he wouldn't ever abandon his brother.

Alec slowed down after a while and jogged back to the house. He would check on Ben first, and then go searching for food. He was always hungry after running and he'd need to eat to bring his energy back up so he didn't crash. His fast metabolism made it hard to go without food after exercising.

He peeked into the living room and smiled when he saw Ben snuggled against Dean's side on the sofa fast asleep. Ben needed this; to have a family and feel safe and loved. Alec was glad his brother finally got to have this.

Alec turned away from the living room and started for the kitchen. He didn't know where Sam was, but it didn't matter. He was pretty sure that it was ok if he went in search of food by himself. If it wasn't, then he'd think of a way to talk himself out of trouble later. Right now he just wanted food.

He opened up cabinets and grabbed anything that looked like food. He didn't know much about what was edible in a kitchen. He knew every edible plant or mushroom, but he could barely navigate a kitchen. At Manticore they always had the food ready for them so he didn't need to know that kind of thing. They taught them what plants were edible for survival and that was good enough.

Alec found a can opener and went to town. He knew he was overdoing it, but one can of ravioli was not enough. He cleaned out most of the cabinets before he moved on to the fridge. There were a lot of tasty things in there, but he had no idea what they were. He found something red and squishy, and even though it looked like brains, he tried it. It wasn't the best thing ever so he just ate a few bites before he moved on.

He cleaned out the fridge and the freezer before he looked for anything else he could eat. He went to a closed door and found a big bag of what looked like Coco Puffs. He'd already devoured the box that had been in one of the cabinets, but he wouldn't mind having more.

He grabbed a big handful and tossed it into his mouth. He knew immediately that it wasn't Coco Puffs. He chewed slowly and forced himself to swallow. Ugh, he thought some of Manticore's food was bad, but this was the worst thing he'd ever tasted.

He ran over to the sink and turned it on. He stuck his face under the faucet and drank as much water as he could to try and get the taste out of his mouth. It didn't work so he looked around for anything he might've left that he could eat.

Empty cans littered the counter, some even fell to the floor. He hopped down from the sink, but before he could make it far his stomach cramped. He definitely did not feel good. He clutched his stomach and tried to stagger out of the room. He fell to the floor after a few steps and curled into a ball.

This was ok. The floor was nice and cool and as long as he didn't move, he wouldn't throw up. He would just take a quick nap and hope that no one would find him while he was at the scene of the crime.

* * *

John finished wrapping Ben's shoulder before he rubbed his son's head and stood up. Ben gave him a small smile and snuggled against Dean's side and closed his eyes. John looked to Dean to make sure he was good and his oldest son nodded back to him.

"I'm gonna go outside and see if I can find Alec," John said.

"Ben said he'd come back," Dean whispered. "He just had to run off some energy."

"I know. I'm just gonna see if he's done," John replied.

He knew Alec would be ok, but he wanted to make absolutely sure. And he secretly wanted to see if his boy wanted to hang out with him again. Ben had no problem with him, and he wanted it to be the same with Alec.

Dean nodded in understanding and John walked outside. He'd been upstairs with Bobby researching when Dean had called him down. Ben had told him everything about Rumsfeld and what had happened while he patched him up.

John took a deep breath and looked around the yard. He had no idea where Alec would go or how long he'd run for, but he knew one of Alec's favorite places was the garage so he'd look there. Alec was fascinated with the garage while Ben was afraid to go near it. He didn't know why they had such different reactions to it, but he was afraid to ask.

What he knew about Manticore, he wished that he didn't. He'd only witnessed some of what his boys had been through, but they'd been there for nine years. There was no telling what all they had to go through. Even Ben telling him about the dogs at Manticore had been too much for him. It was sick what those people had done to his boys.

He made his way to the garage and looked around there, but he still didn't find any sign of his youngest son. He knew he needed to relax a little and let his boy do what he wanted, but it was hard to even let him out of his sight.

He circled the house and even went down to the road, but he still couldn't find Alec. He took another deep breath and slowly walked back to the house. Maybe he'd just missed his boy and now he was back at the house sitting on the sofa with his brother.

That made him feel a little bit better as he walked back.

He walked into the living room, but his face fell when he didn't see Alec where he'd imagined him. Dean and Ben were both asleep and Sam had gone upstairs when he'd come downstairs so none of them knew where Alec was.

John swallowed hard and decided he needed a drink before he completely lost it. He walked to the kitchen, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw empty cans littering the room. A slow smile started to form when he saw Alec curled up on the ground.

John walked over to Alec and kneeled down next to him. He rubbed his head and Alec looked over at him with bleary eyes. "Hey kiddo," John whispered. "Were ya hungry?"

Alec nodded and mumbled, "Now my stomach hurts…"

"Alright, c'mere," John said, holding out his arms. Alec moved slightly towards him before he scooped up his youngest son and held him close. "Alright," John soothed, standing up with his son in his arms. "Here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna try and find either some sprite or 7-up…anything we have left, and then I'll find us a bucket just in case you need it and you're gonna take a nice, long nap. How does that sound?"

Alec nodded against him and snuggled a little closer.

John walked into the living room once he had what he was looking for and settled into the recliner with his boy in his lap. He rocked the chair slightly and ran his hand over Alec's head.

"Am I in trouble?" Alec asked softly after a few minutes.

"No kiddo, you're not in trouble," John reassured. "You were hungry and you went and found food, that's all."

"I knew I overdid it, but I couldn't stop," Alec said.

"Well, you've never had that food before, right?" John asked. Alec nodded so he said, "Now you know and maybe next time you won't eat as much."

"I ate something really bad…"

"What was it?" John asked.

"I don't know," Alec whispered. "I ate something that looked like Coco Puffs, but it wasn't and something that looked like brains, which I knew I shouldn't eat, but I did anyway…"

"Oh Alec," John murmured. "Kiddo, you shouldn't've eaten the stuff that looked like brains. That's raw meat and it's not good for you. That other stuff might've even been dog food, but I don't know…"

"I'm sorry…"

"It's ok," John instantly reassured. "I just don't want you feelin' sick." Alec nodded again. "Try to go to sleep, alright?"

"Ok…"

Alec closed his eyes tight and tried really hard to go to sleep. John chuckled, and then whispered, "Relax. Just close your eyes." Alec relaxed slightly, but then John got an idea on how to help his boy sleep.

He started to hum, low and soothing. When he was a kid this song had always helped him sleep and he hoped it would help Alec too.

 _"You must remember this_

 _A kiss is still a kiss_

 _A sigh is just a sigh_

 _The fundamental things apply_

 _As time goes by"_

Alec snuggled closer and actually drifted off once he started to sing. He usually didn't sing; he usually found himself whistling the tune, but he felt like Alec would like the song. It seemed to be helping him a little bit anyway.

 _"And when two lovers woo_

 _They still say, I love you_

 _On that you can rely_

 _No matter what the future brings_

 _As time goes by"_

He brushed his fingers through Alec's short hair as he sang. He'd noticed right off that Alec and Ben looked just like Dean, but now that he had some time to really look them over it was even more obvious. Alec had freckles spattered across his nose and cheeks, his hair was still buzzed, but when it grew out it would be blonde like Dean's, and he acted a lot like Dean too with the way he protected his brother. It was something he couldn't explain, which bugged him. He would find the answers someday though.

"Haven't heard that song in a long time," Dean whispered, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Thought it might help Alec sleep…"

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, already knowing that Alec wouldn't sleep on him unless something was wrong.

"Alec went on a feeding frenzy," John replied. "He tried just about anything he could find and now his stomach hurts."

Dean shook his head and shifted slightly to get comfortable again. "They've got a lot to experience…" Dean muttered. "They don't know many good things…"

"I know," John said. Dean closed his eyes again and John started humming.

He hummed until he actually started to feel drowsy. His eyes were starting to droop when Alec suddenly reached out and grabbed at his shirt.

John was instantly awake and he looked to his son to see what was wrong. Alec looked a little green, so he moved fast and got the bucket from the floor. Alec immediately turned and heaved into the bucket. John rubbed his back with one hand while he held the bucket with his other. Alec heaved a few times before he finally collapsed back against him.

"It's alright Alec. Just get it all out," John said softly.

Alec groaned, and then turned again to puke. John did what he could to try and comfort him; he just hoped once Alec finally got it all out he'd feel better.

Alec threw up four more times before he was just dry heaving. He didn't have anything left and he was exhausted. John tried to coax some Sprite into Alec, but he wasn't having it. "How about just to rinse your mouth out?" John tried.

Alec finally nodded and took a small sip of the bubbly drink. He relaxed again after a moment, but he shivered.

"Alec, do you want me to leave you here or take you with me while I go find a blanket?" John asked.

"I wanna go with you," Alec breathed out.

"Alright kiddo," John said. "Just close your eyes so you don't get sick from the motion, ok?"

"Ok…"

John stood up with Alec, but he kept his movements slow to try to help. He shifted Alec over to his hip so he could get what they needed, and then grabbed the bucket to set it outside on his way to the closet. He found a stack of blankets in the closet and grabbed two before he walked back to the living room.

Alec whimpered when he unfolded one of the blankets and draped it over Ben and Dean. "We're almost done, Alec," John reassured. "Then you can go back to sleep."

John sat down again, propped up the footrest, and draped the blanket over himself and Alec. He got Alec a little more comfortable before he settled in. He would just take a little nap while Alec slept.

* * *

Ben was running as fast as he could. The dogs were getting closer, but he couldn't run any faster. They were going to get him and there was nothing he could do about it. Alec was running beside him, but even he had fear in his eyes.

His lungs were burning, but he couldn't stop. He had to keep going; he couldn't let the dogs get him. If they failed the guards would just let it happen. Their legs would get ripped up and their arms would look like an old chew toy by the time the dogs would be called off. It would hurt and they'd be expected to return to their drills the next day.

Another dog suddenly came at them from the front. Alec was looking behind them so he didn't see the dog until it was too late. Ben tried to call out a warning, but the dog slammed into Alec and they both crashed to the ground. Ben immediately stopped and tried to help his brother; the other dogs caught up though and he couldn't keep them all back.

He fell and just as one of the dogs bit into his leg, he woke up.

"Hey it's ok. It was just a dream," Dean whispered to him.

Ben looked around, confused. He wasn't at Manticore, he was at Bobby's. He'd fallen asleep after John had patched up his shoulder, but he was still safe. Now he just had to make sure Alec was safe too.

He looked around again and finally spotted his brother. He was surprised to see that Alec was actually snuggled against John in the recliner. He smiled a little seeing both of them asleep. Alec didn't want to admit it, but he needed this. He wanted safety and love and family just as much as he did.

"You ok now?" Dean asked.

Ben nodded and said, "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Dean asked back, confused. "You're sorry for having a bad dream?"

Ben nodded again, "I'm supposed to be silent and still when I'm sleeping. You're not supposed to know I'm having a bad dream…I'm not even supposed to have bad dreams…"

Dean took a deep breath, and then said, "You don't have to be sorry for bad dreams here, ok? Me and Sammy have bad dreams too…Sam even has to wake me up to snap me out of them sometimes."

Ben frowned and a question slipped free before he could stop himself, "Why do you have bad dreams?"

"Lots of reasons," Dean hedged. "I saw something really scary when I was little and some of the things we get into are dangerous and I get scared for my family."

Ben's curiosity spiked, and he wanted to ask a million questions, but he held his tongue. He just nodded instead and relaxed against Dean again. Instead, he changed the subject, "Alec must be really tired…"

"Dad said he ate too much and his stomach hurts," Dean said. "He'll be ok after he sleeps a little." Ben started to say something, but then he heard footsteps above them and he tensed. "It's ok," Dean reassured. "It's just Bobby and Sammy."

Dean was right because a moment later Sam came running down the stairs with Bobby slowly following behind him. Sam ran over and jumped onto the sofa next to him while Bobby walked into another room.

"Why is Alec sleeping with Dad?" Sam asked, looking to Dean.

"He's got a stomachache," Dean replied.

Sam let out a small, sad sigh, "I guess we can't play anymore today then…not since Ben's shoulder hurts again and Alec's sick…"

"No, not today. But tomorrow should be good. Maybe we can go to the creek tomorrow," Dean said with a smile.

"That'll be fun!" Sam said excitedly.

"What the Hell!"

Ben looked up with panic, but Sam and Dean looked towards the kitchen with curiosity. Bobby sounded really mad and growly and he was afraid that Alec was going to be in big trouble in a minute.

Bobby stomped into the room a moment later and yelled, "What the Hell happened to my kitchen?!"

Alec startled awake suddenly and looked at Bobby with wide, frightened eyes. "I'm sorry," Alec said in a small voice. Ben could see why Alec got out of trouble just as easily as he got into trouble. He looked so sad and Ben immediately wanted to take on whatever punishment Alec was going to get.

Bobby's gaze instantly softened towards Alec.

Alec knew how to act around certain people. He knew at Manticore the guards would be even worse to him if he acted weak, so he was defiant and acted out on purpose. Here, he must know that Bobby wouldn't be as mad as long as he apologized and looked really sorry for what he'd done.

"Dad," Dean called out to get John's attention.

John jumped awake and looked around for what could be threatening them. His arms tightened around Alec and he looked at each of them to see what was going on. "What? What happened?"

"My kitchen's a disaster," Bobby halfheartedly grumbled.

John sighed, "Bobby, I'll clean it up, ok? We'll go on a supply run and restock your kitchen."

Bobby slowly walked over to them. He messed with his hat and knelt down in front of Alec. "Did you eat all of that?" Bobby asked softly.

Alec was tense as he searched the older man's face, but he finally nodded and whispered, "I was hungry…"

Bobby smiled and said, "That's pretty obvious…Your stomach hurt?" Alec nodded again. "I might have somethin' that'll help…"

Bobby stood up and left the room again. Alec looked to him once Bobby left, but he shrugged back at his brother. He didn't know what Bobby was doing either. Bobby walked over to Alec again, but he was holding a colorful box in his hands.

"Grape, Orange, or Cherry?" Bobby asked.

Alec frowned in confusion and asked back, "What is it?"

"A popsicle," Bobby said, reaching into the box and pulling something out. He handed it to Alec and said, "Looks like you get Grape."

Alec hesitantly unwrapped it and took a small bite. A smile broke across his face as he tasted the popsicle, and then he said, "Ben, you've gotta try this."

Ben looked to Bobby to see if he could have one, and Bobby smiled and walked over. "What flavor?" Ben ducked his head down and shrugged. "Alright…how about Orange?"

Ben nodded and took the offered popsicle from the older man. He couldn't help his smile when he tasted the treat; it was sweet and delicious and he'd never tasted anything like it.

"Where were you hiding those?" John grumbled. "There was nothin' left when I looked…"

"I got a secret stash you don't know about," Bobby gloated, taking a seat next to Sam and offering him a popsicle too.

"Pretty good, huh?" Bobby asked. Ben and Alec both nodded as they continued to eat. "That oughta ease your stomach."

Alec nodded and relaxed against John, savoring his treat. John wrapped his arms around Alec and held him close. Ben was glad to see that his brother was more at ease with John. He wanted to stay with this family, but he'd been afraid that Alec wouldn't want to since he didn't trust John. Now he had a real hope that they were going to stay. That he and Alec could have a family and be safe and loved.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	9. Chapter 9

_This chapter is for_ FleetingWriter. _Thank you so much for the suggestion!_ _I hope you all like it!_

* * *

Alec swayed as he balanced on a rock. He could feel Ben tracking his every move, but he'd already tried to reassure his brother that he was fine. His stomach was still woozy from cleaning out Bobby's kitchen and his wrist still hurt, but he didn't have any other injuries. He should be fine.

He felt off though, and tired. He knew Ben was picking up on it, which was why he was keeping an eye on him. He probably just needed more rest from throwing up so much the day before. But he didn't want to miss out on going to the creek. He loved being outside and he'd rather endure Ben's overprotectiveness than miss out on a chance to go exploring.

"We catch frogs here all the time," Sam said, drawing him back into the conversation.

"I wanna catch one when the ice melts," Alec said.

The snow had started the night before and it hadn't stopped. Alec didn't really like the snow, but they were all bundled up this time instead of the last time he had been in the snow. Dean claimed that they were going to do something fun, but he didn't know what it was yet.

"You ok?" Ben asked softly, coming up beside him.

"I'm great!" Alec replied. Ben frowned though and Alec sighed, "Why wouldn't I be ok? We're outside. We get to actually have fun."

"Alec, you're pale and off balance. Maybe you should rest a little more…take some time to recuperate," Ben tried. Alec started to argue, but pain lanced up his spine and his foot slipped on a rock. Ben caught his arm before he could fall and said, "See? This is what I was talking about."

"The rocks are all slippery because of the ice," Alec stated, trying to school his features to cover the pain that had just shot through him.

"But _you_ don't slip," Ben pointed out.

"I'm fine," Alec practically growled. Ben glared at him, but dropped his argument. Alec knew he wasn't done; he was just regrouping to come up with a better strategy.

"Alec, Ben, come over here!" Dean called out from the top of the hill on the other side of the creek. Sam stood next to him with something wooden in his hands. Alec and Ben both ran up the hill and waited for what they were going to do. "Alright, this is called sledding. We're going to sit on the sled and go down the hill," Dean explained.

"It's a lot of fun," Sam whispered to them.

Alec wasn't so sure about that, but Dean hadn't steered him wrong yet so he would try it. Sam put the sled in the snow, and then sat down on it. Dean sat behind him and motioned for them to get on. Alec looked to Ben to make sure his brother was going to do it, and he moved once Ben did.

They both got on the sled in between Sam and Dean. Alec waited for what was going to happen next, but he didn't have to wait long.

The sled tipped and suddenly they were going down the hill really fast. Alec reached out and held onto Ben as they flew. He heard Dean 'Whoop!' with enjoyment and he couldn't stop his own smile from forming.

But before he knew it, the ride was over. The sled stopped at the bottom of the hill and Sam and Dean jumped off.

"What'd ya think?" Dean asked them with a wide smile.

"That was awesome!" Alec exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Can we do it again?" Ben asked. Alec could hear the excitement in his brother's voice, which made it even better.

"Yeah, come on!" Sam said, running up the hill again. They quickly followed so they could go down the hill again. Dean wasn't wrong; this was a lot of fun.

* * *

"Dean, we're gonna go play on the ice," Sam said, grabbing Alec's sleeve and tugging him closer to the creek.

"Alright, be careful," Dean said, propping the sled against a tree. They'd been sledding for at least an hour and Dean could tell that Alec was ready to do something else. His little brother had really liked it for a while, but going down the same hill over and over again did get a little old. "Do you want to go with them?" Dean asked Ben.

Ben shook his head no, "Alec doesn't want me to…He thinks I'm being too overprotective…"

Dean cocked his head to the side, "How come?"

"No reason," Ben said quickly. Dean looked at him like he didn't believe him and Ben sighed, "It's nothing. I'm just overreacting. I just wish he would've been able to eat something before we came out here…"

Dean nodded in understanding, "We won't stay out here too much longer. But fresh air is good for you guys." Dean looked around for something he and Ben could do, and then asked, "How about we try to build a snowman, huh?"

Ben looked up at him uncertainly and shrugged, "I don't know what that is…"

"It'll be fun," Dean reassured.

"How do you do it?" Ben asked.

He knelt down and scooped up some snow to start it out. "We just roll this around until it gets to be really big, ok?"

Ben nodded and watched closely as he rolled the snow around. Once it got big enough, Ben helped him push the ball of snow around to make it bigger.

"Now we just need to make two more of these…just a little smaller each time," Dean said. He wasn't sure if Ben was having fun or not, but he immediately started another snow ball. It was easier for him to read Alec than it was Ben. He hoped Ben was having fun, but he was afraid to ask.

He started his own snow ball, but he fell back in surprise when a snowball suddenly hit him out of nowhere. He looked around for who had thrown it, but Alec and Sam were still both playing on the ice.

He moved his gaze over to Ben, and saw that his little brother was trying not to laugh at him. He was just as ornery as Alec was; he was just sneakier about it. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Dean asked, amusement coloring his tone.

Ben nodded, and then asked, "Are you mad?"

Dean pushed himself up and playfully threatened, "I'm gonna get you back for this!"

Ben laughed as he dodged his grasp, and then laughed some more when Dean actually caught him and threw him over his shoulder. He made sure to still be gentle with Ben since he was still healing, but it was pretty fun to actually get to play. He and Sam hadn't gotten to do this in a long time. Laughter and fun had been in short supply for their family for a long time. The twins changed that. Even Dad seemed to be happier these days.

He knew it wouldn't always be like this. Dad still wanted to find what had killed their Mom and hunting was still their life. He didn't hate hunting like Sam did. He knew their job was important; they saved people from things they couldn't even imagine. He just didn't like it when his family got hurt, and he wanted to protect the twins from this life. They'd had a hard enough life already and hunting would just make it worse. Luckily, Dad agreed with him for now. The boys deserved to be kids while they still could, and that included Sam.

His little brother had been on a few hunts, but he still thought it was too many. He didn't want Sammy to get hurt, but Sam had been determined to watch his back ever since he found out what was really going on.

"Dean!" Sam's panicked yell shook him out of his daydream and put him back into reality. He quickly set Ben down again and together they ran over to see what was going on.

"Alec!" Ben cried out once they were close enough.

Dean's heart nearly stopped when he saw his brothers. Sam was holding Alec's head up to keep his face out of the icy water, but Alec's body was thrashing around uncontrollably. Dean only took a second to take in the scene before he snapped into action. He was the oldest; he needed to take charge, control the situation, and protect his brothers.

"What happened?" Dean asked as calmly as he could, crouching down to take over for Sam. Ben sank to his knees next to Alec and latched onto his brother's hand like his life depended on it.

"I don't know," Sam admitted, his voice wavering. "We were just playing when he collapsed and started shaking. I couldn't catch him in time and he broke the ice and hit his head…" There was a deep gash above his ear and his blood was staining the ice water a murky red.

Dean could easily hear the guilt in Sam's voice so he quickly reassured, "It's ok Sammy." He turned to Ben and gently asked, "Do you know why Alec's having a seizure?" He ripped off some of his shirt and pressed against Alec's wound. He didn't know how to stop the seizure, but he knew how to stop a wound from bleeding.

Ben's lip trembled as he shook his head no. He looked so scared right now and Dean wanted to tell both of his brothers that Alec was going to be ok, but he didn't know that. He didn't make promises he couldn't keep, but he would do whatever he had to, to keep Alec with them.

The ice cracked further under Alec's body and Dean couldn't keep him up since he was already holding up his head. He sank further into the water, instantly soaking his clothes. This was really bad. Alec was already recovering from hypothermia and this wasn't helping anything.

Alec's shaking finally slowed until there was just a twitch of his muscles every so often.

"Sam, run and warn Dad and Bobby," Dean said, easing his hands under Alec and easily picking him up. "We'll be right behind you."

Sam nodded and took off running back towards the house. Dean held Alec close as his little brother shook in his arms. Ben stuck like glue to his side and held on to his shirt as he walked. Alec's eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as he worked at getting his eyes open.

"Hey kiddo," Dean whispered. "Can you hear me?"

Alec was silent for a moment, but then finally breathed out, "Ow…"

Dean let out a choked laugh to keep from crying and reassured, "We're gonna get some help, ok? I'm gonna keep you safe." Alec nodded, but then closed his eyes tight and groaned as another tremor shook his small frame. "Alec, do you know what's going on? What caused the seizure?"

Alec's lip trembled as he shook his head no. He looked so scared and he couldn't keep the pain out of his eyes. Dean wanted to protect him, to take the pain away from him, but the best he could do was get him to Dad. Dean was sure Dad would know what to do.

"It hurts," Alec whispered.

"I know, Alec, I know," Dean murmured.

"What happened?" Alec asked in confusion.

"You had a seizure and hit your head on a rock," Dean replied. Alec's eyes started to close, but Dean shook him slightly and pleaded, "Hey, try to stay awake. We've gotta get ya warm again…The ice cracked and if you sleep, I might not get ya to wake up again."

"Ok…"

Alec turned his face towards his chest and clenched his jaw as a tremor shook him again. Dean tried to comfort his little brother as much as he could, but Alec was getting worse. He was getting harder to hold on to and Dean was afraid that he was going to drop him if he didn't stop. He didn't want to put Alec in the snow, but he didn't have very many options.

"Hold on Alec," Dean said, slowly coming to a stop and lowering Alec down. He cushioned Alec's head as much as he could and rubbed his shoulders. He could see that Alec knew what was coming, but he didn't know how to make it any better.

Alec's breath hitched, his eyes rolled back, and the violent shaking began again.

"Alec!" Ben cried out desperately, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Ben, we'll figure this out, ok?" Dean tried to reassure, splitting his attention between Alec and Ben.

Ben shook his head as a sob escaped, "He's got the shakes…there isn't a cure for the shakes…"

"The shakes?" Dean asked. He knew Ben meant the seizure, but it sounded like he'd seen this before.

"Max got the shakes and we had to hide her. They stopped eventually, but when Jack got the shakes, he never came back. Max saw him…he didn't make it. He died because of the shakes!" Ben said desperately. "Alec's got the shakes and I don't know how to make them stop!"

"We'll figure it out Ben," Dean said. "We're not going to let Alec leave us, ok?" Ben looked up at him and finally nodded. Alec's shaking slowed and Dean said, "Look, he's already comin' back."

Dean picked Alec up again and carefully started walking. He didn't want to jostle Alec, but he needed to get back to the house as soon as he could.

Sam ran out of the house as fast as he could once they were closer, and back over to them. Dean could see Dad and Bobby making their way out too, but Sam was faster.

"How is he? Did he wake up? Is he alright?" Sam asked in a rush, quickly examining Alec with his own eyes. Dean could see the guilt shining through and knew Sam thought that this was somehow his fault.

"He woke up for a minute," Dean hedged.

"What's going on? What happened?" Dad asked, worried eyes taking in the scene. Alec was still shaking, not as badly as before, but enough to make it hard to hold on to him.

"Alec had a seizure and hit his head," Dean explained. "He had another one on the way back, but we don't know what's causing them or how to stop them. And the ice broke under him so we've gotta get him warmed up again."

"I'll call a friend who owes me one. He might know what to do…" Bobby said, running back into the house.

"Let's get him inside," Dad said. He ran ahead of them to get things set up.

Dean made sure Sam and Ben were still with him before he took Alec inside. His little brother gave a violent shake again and Dean cried out, "Dad! He's having another one!"

"Put him on the sofa and turn him on his side," Dad replied, running past him to another room.

Dean set Alec down and turned him just as his third seizure hit. Dean felt helpless as Alec shook uncontrollably. He wanted to fix this, but he couldn't. He didn't know how.

Ben was as close to Alec as he could get. His breathing was harsh, but he was trying to keep it together. Dean wanted to make it better for him too, but Ben wouldn't be better until Alec was.

Alec's shaking slowed finally as Dad came back into the room carrying their first aid kit. He crouched down and examined Alec's head, "He's gonna need stitches…"

"That's gonna be hard to do if the seizures don't stop," Dean said.

"His shaking's gone down. I'll try to get them in before another one starts," Dad said. "Sam, go get him some dry clothes."

Sam looked like he was about to argue, but his gaze slipped over to Alec and he nodded before leaving the room.

"How's he doin'?" Bobby asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Not great…" Dad grumbled. He cleaned the gash thoroughly, but Alec didn't react at all.

Ben's eyes widened, but Dean quickly rubbed his back and whispered, "It's ok."

"What did your friend say?" John asked, keeping his focus on Alec.

"You're not gonna like it…" Bobby said, adjusting his hat.

"Hospital?" John asked.

"No!" Ben shouted, surprising them all. "We can't go to the hospital! They'll find us if we go there!"

"Ben, I won't let them find you," Dad reassured. "But Alec needs help. I don't know what's going on, but we need to know if we're going to help him."

"Ben…" Alec breathed out, drawing everyone's attention.

"I'm right here Alec," Ben instantly replied. "How're you feeling?"

"Not great," Alec admitted. "'M cold…"

"Sammy went to get you some different clothes, and then we'll wrap you in a blanket," Dean said.

Alec shook, making Dad pull away from putting in his stitches. "Easy Alec, I'm almost done," Dad said. "I need to put in a couple more…" Dad started working again, but Alec's only sign of discomfort was a small flinch when the needle pieced him. Dad was quick with the rest of the stitches; he put some antiseptic over them, and then gently stroked his cheek.

"Alec," Ben said, gaining his brother's attention.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before Alec denied, "No! We can't."

Dean couldn't stop his small smile; it looked like Alec and Ben could communicate the same way he and Sam could.

"We have to," Ben argued. "I'm not losing you, brother."

Alec's lip trembled, but he swallowed hard and tried to say, "They m-m-might st-stop…" His voice shook in time with his body; he had a frustrated look, but Dean ran his hand over his head to reassure him that they understood what he was saying.

But just because they understood, didn't mean they agreed. "Even if they do stop, they might start again," Dad gently said. "And if they do, we need a way to get them to really stop."

Alec suddenly curled in on himself as a tremor shook him. "Try to relax, Alec," Dean soothed. He didn't want to take Alec to the hospital. He didn't like it when someone else was in charge of one of his brother's wellbeing. He wasn't very good at waiting.

Sam came back carrying a bundle of clothes that he passed off to Dad. He looked at Alec with concerned eyes and kneeled down next to him.

"Alec, are you thirsty? I can get you something to drink," Sam offered. Sam always tried to take care of him when he was hurt and now he was doing what he could to take care of Alec too. Alec barely nodded and Sam took off for the kitchen.

"Let's get you into some dry clothes, ok?" Dad asked, easing Alec up. Alec collapsed against Dad's chest, exhaustion pulling at him. "I gotcha," Dad reassured. Alec's shaking was starting to get bad again, but Dad still worked at getting him changed.

"It-t-t's hap-p-pening again…" Alec stuttered. He reached up to grab Dad's shirt, but he lost control of his muscles before he could.

Dad got him back on the sofa as the full out seizure hit. Dean's heart clenched; it hurt to see his brother in pain, and it was even worse that there was nothing he could do to help.

Sam ran back into the room holding a glass of milk. He stopped though and looked at Alec with wide, scared eyes. His look moved to Dean, and he knew his brother was looking for a reassurance that Alec was going to be ok. But Dean didn't know that for sure.

"Alright Alec," Dad whispered when his shaking slowed. "Let's try this again." Dad got Alec up again and got him changed while he was still out.

"Do you think he can drink this?" Sam asked, coming to sit next to him again.

"Yeah Sammy, I think he'll really like this," Dean reassured. "What made you think of milk?"

Sam hesitated, but then said, "He really seemed to like it at the diner…"

Dean smiled remembering the delight on Alec's face when he tried milk for the first time. "You're right. He did really like it at the diner."

Ben slid to sit next to his brother and grabbed his hand. He looked lost, like the only thing keeping him grounded was Alec's hand in his. Alec was taking longer to come around than the last time, and it was scaring them all.

"C'mon kiddo, time to come back now," Dad urged. Dad rubbed Alec's back, and then massaged the back of his neck. Alec finally groaned and leaned against Dad. "That's it Alec. Easy does it."

"It's ok Alec," Ben whispered.

"This is not very fun," Alec slurred, his voice weak.

"Alec, Sammy got ya some milk," Dean said.

Alec actually looked up hopefully and smiled at Sam. "Thanks Sammy."

Sam held the glass for Alec so he could get a drink. Alec tried to gulp it down, but Sam pulled it away slightly and warned, "Take smaller sips. I don't want you to choke."

Sam helped Alec drink until the glass was drained. Alec looked a little happier now and his shaking had lessened some.

"Alec, you ok?" Dad asked.

"'M tired…"

"What're we gonna do?" Bobby asked, watching them from the doorway. Dean had forgotten that the older man was even there. His entire focus was on Alec.

"Dad, it's getting worse out…" Dean said. The roads were already covered and there was no sign that it was going to stop any time soon.

"He's gotta go to the hospital," Dad reluctantly said. "We've gotta know what's wrong so we can stop it."

Alec's eyes locked with his, silently asking him what to do. Alec trusted him, and he didn't want to betray that trust, but he needed to get his brother some help.

Dean nodded and reached out for Alec. His little brother moved towards him and he carefully picked him up and held him close. "It's gonna be ok," Dean whispered. Alec shook slightly against him, but it wasn't as strong as before. Either the seizures were starting to go away or Alec was getting too weak to shake as badly as he had been. Dean's arms tightened around his little brother to try to keep him safe.

"Alright, let's load up," Dad said. "Time to take a little trip…"

* * *

"Should we bring another blanket?" Ben asked as he slid in next to Dean and Alec in the backseat. Alec was shaking still and Ben didn't know if it was because of the shakes or because he was cold.

"Maybe we should bring some more milk too…" Sam muttered, getting in on Dean's other side. "If we get stuck out here, he might want some milk."

"Guys, we have a half carton of milk and we bundled him up as much as we could," Dean said, holding Alec closer. "And we aren't gonna get stuck out here."

"Dean…"

"It's gonna be alright Sammy," Dean cut off. Ben could hear the worry in his voice, but he was trying to stay calm.

"You boys ready?" John asked, getting into the driver's seat. Bobby got in on the other side and glanced back at them all.

"Yes sir," Dean replied.

"How's he doin'?" Bobby asked.

"He's resting for now," Dean said. "He's pretty worn out…"

"How far is it?" Ben asked. He wanted to get Alec better, but he dreaded going to the hospital.

"We've gotta go into town, but with the roads like this it could take an hour or so…" Bobby muttered.

"Hang in there Alec," Dean whispered to his brother.

Ben grabbed Alec's hand and held it in his. His brother's fingers were cold, but he trusted Dean's judgement. If Dean thought Alec was bundled up enough, then he would think that too. But he couldn't ignore the panic he felt even just looking at Alec. He knew something was wrong, but he'd never imagined it would be this.

Alec was too strong for the shakes to get him. Ben knew his brother wasn't invincible, but this shouldn't be happening. He should be the one with the shakes, not Alec.

"The roads are worse than I thought…" John said to Bobby. He was keeping his voice down so they couldn't hear him.

"Think we can make it?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know…"

"Wha's goin' on?" Alec slurred suddenly.

"Alec, everything's ok," Dean soothed. "We're on the way to the hospital, remember?"

"Oh…" Alec breathed out.

"Everything's ok," Dean repeated.

Ben hoped the more Dean said that everything would be ok, then it actually might be. He needed Alec to be ok. Alec groaned and turned towards Dean. Tears were leaking out of his eyes as he tried to hold himself together. The shakes were getting bad again and Alec was trying his hardest to not let it show how much it hurt.

"Shit," John said, his hands tightening on the wheel.

"What does that mean?" Ben whispered to Dean.

"It-t's a b-bad wo-or-d-d," Alec stuttered.

"That's right, it's a bad word," Dean said with a small smile, running his hand through Alec's hair. Dean looked over at him, and then at Sam and asked, "You guys have your seatbelts on, right?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Ben looked around unsure what a seatbelt even was. Dean tried to reach around Alec to help him, but Alec's shaking made that impossible. "I shoulda thought about this sooner…" Dean muttered.

"John! The bridge!" Bobby yelled.

"I got it!" John yelled back.

Dean situated Alec so he could hold him with one arm and threw his other arm out across his chest. Ben could feel the wheels slide and he held his breath just hoping that they wouldn't crash. It wouldn't help Alec at all if they crashed.

Somehow they made it over the bridge, but then it was a downhill slope and the roads were too icy to keep control. Ben reached under Dean's arm to grab his brother. He squeezed his eyes shut even though he knew that went against his training. He didn't want to see what was going to happen and he knew Dean wouldn't yell at him.

His eyes flew open though when they slammed into something very solid. His breath left him when his forward motion was suddenly stopped by Dean's arm across his chest.

They were all silent for a moment before John turn around and asked them, "You boys all ok?"

"I think so…" Dean said, looking at him, Alec, and Sam. Ben nodded back to Dean to say that he was ok. His main concern was still Alec. Dean must have been thinking along the same lines because he asked, "Alec, how ya doin'?"

"N-n-not great…" Alec forced out.

"Sammy, pass over the milk," Dean said. Sam twisted the cap off of the milk, and then handed it to Dean.

Dean propped Alec up a little more and held the jug so Alec could take slow sips.

"You got him?" John asked Dean.

"Yes sir," Dean replied. John and Bobby both got out of the car and Ben stretched to see what they had hit. "We slid into a tree," Dean said, seeing his curiosity. "I don't know if we're just stuck or if the engine died…"

"Will they get it working again?" Ben asked, his gaze sliding back to Alec. His brother was still taking small sips of milk when his body allowed it.

"Dean, you should go help them," Sam said.

"Sam," Dean growled in warning.

"You know more about the Impala than anyone!" Sam argued.

Dean looked torn, but Ben felt better with the older boy here and he knew Alec did too. "I'm not goin' anywhere. Besides, they're gonna need someone to try and start her once they get things figured out," Dean said.

Alec choked suddenly on the milk and started coughing. Dean quickly handed the milk back to Sam and propped Alec up a little more and patted his back. Alec managed to get his breathing under control and rested against Dean's chest.

Ben could tell that Alec was starting to fall asleep, which he was relieved for. Maybe if he fell asleep, the shakes wouldn't be so bad and they might even go away.

"Dean! Try to start her," John called from outside.

"Alec, I've gotta put you down for just a minute, but then I'll be back, ok?" Dean whispered to his brother.

Alec groaned as he was moved to sit by himself, but Ben instantly put his arms around him. Alec shook still, but he could tell his brother was weaker than before. They had to find a way to stop these before Alec had nothing left.

"C'mon Baby," Dean murmured from the front seat. He turned the key, but the engine just sputtered. "C'mon Baby, you always start for me…"

Ben wasn't sure, but he thought Dean was talking to the car. He didn't know why since the car couldn't hear him.

"Is D-dean talking t-to the c-c-car?" Alec asked him. His voice was weak, but he was aware enough to know that Dean was talking to the car.

"I think so…" Ben replied.

"Dean really likes the Impala," Sam told them. "And for some reason she does usually start for him."

"H-he c-c-all-s-s her B-b-baby?" Alec stuttered.

"Yeah, I don't know why he does that," Sam muttered.

The car rumbled to life and Dean turned to look at them in victory. He turned back to the front and gave John a thumb's up before he climbed over the seat again and picked Alec back up. Alec collapsed against Dean and rested his head against his chest.

"We should be good now," John said as he got back in. Bobby got into the passenger seat as they slowly backed away from the tree.

"You still with us, Alec?" Bobby asked.

Alec barely nodded against Dean before he closed his eyes.

"We'll get to the hospital soon," John tried to reassure.

"As long as we don't slide into the ditch again," Sam grumbled.

"Maybe we shoulda just called an ambulance," Bobby said to John.

"It's fine," John stated.

Ben hoped it really would be fine. Alec was in pain again; his fist was clenched in Dean's shirt and his eyes were squeezed shut. Ben wished he could take the pain away, but he didn't know how.

"Hang in there, brother," Ben whispered. Alec reached out his other hand and Ben immediately held it to try to comfort him. He wasn't going to let his brother go.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks again to_ FleetingWriter _for all of the suggestions! I hope you all like it!_

* * *

Alec clung to Dean and refused to let go. The very smell of the hospital was putting him in full freak out mode; it was too close to Manticore. Ben was even more freaked out, but he was pretty sure that was because of the seizures.

They had lessened quite a bit since they left, but now he was exhausted. The only thing keeping him awake was the stupid hospital. Dean was holding him on his lap and Ben and Sam were on either side of him. They were waiting for John and Bobby to get back from checking them in.

He whimpered as a spike of pain went up his spine. Dean's arms tightened around him as he held him closer. "It's alright Alec," Dean whispered. "Do you want some more milk?"

Alec nodded and Dean held up the container of milk that they'd brought with them. He took small sips of the offered drink, and then dropped his head against Dean's shoulder again. He was so tired; he just wanted the pain to stop.

"These people don't know anything," John grumbled as he sank into the chair next to Ben.

"How long do they think?" Dean asked.

"All they said was they'll see him as soon as they can," Bobby replied when it looked like John wasn't going to.

"Did you tell them he's seizing? He's having full out seizures?" Dean asked, his voice rising with anger.

"Dean," John said gently, "I yelled at them for a good 30 minutes and they still won't do anything." John's gaze shifted to him and he asked, "How ya doin' kiddo?"

"'M alright…" Alec mumbled.

"No you're not," Ben whispered. Alec tried to glare at him, but he didn't have the strength.

"Can I have another drink?" Alec asked Dean.

"Sure thing kiddo," Dean replied, holding the container so he could get another sip. The milk was soothing and too soon it was being pulled away again.

"Somethin' seems to be helpin' at least," Bobby said. "His seizures have gone down a lot since he started drinkin' milk."

Sam looked over at him and gave him a small smile. "Thanks Sammy," Alec breathed out. It was thanks to Sam that he even had any milk.

John looked hopeful, but then he shook his head, "We're just graspin' for reasons for him to be ok."

Alec hid his face against Dean's neck, uncomfortable now with the attention. They were all focused on him, and usually he liked having attention, but this was too much. He saw Sam look down in defeat, but he still thought the milk helped. He'd have to tell Sam that if they ever got out of here.

"Alec," Dean said softly to get his attention. Alec looked up trustingly at Dean. "How about you try to get some rest while we wait?"

Alec instantly shook his head no, "I can't…"

"Alec, I've got your back," Ben said. "You should rest."

Alec felt relief at Ben's statement. He knew Ben had his back, but it was even more important considering where they were. Ben rested his hand on his calf in reassurance and he nodded. He relaxed against Dean and let his eyes close. He was asleep almost instantly.

But unfortunately he didn't stay asleep. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the seizures were back. They weren't the full out seizures, but pain shook him and caused him to whimper.

"Dad, he's getting worse again," Dean said, but his voice was muffled.

"See if he can drink some more milk," John said. He hadn't believed the milk had any effect, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Alec, can you try to drink some more?" Dean asked softly.

He tried, but the shaking was making it difficult. He weakly growled in frustration when the milk spilled down his chin. Dean wiped away the milk; Alec didn't see any disgust for his weakness, but fear and concern for his wellbeing. It went against everything he ever knew, every way he'd ever been treated.

"Alec Winchester?"

"Finally," John grumbled.

And suddenly they were moving. It took him too long to process that the name they had called was his; that the last name belonged to John, Sam, and Dean. He felt warmth flood through him as he was associated with this family. He felt like he belonged.

"I'm sorry, I can't allow all of you back there," A woman said.

"Listen lady, we just sat here forever waitin' for someone to get off their asses and help him," Bobby growled.

"Bobby," John whispered.

"Dad, we don't want to leave him," Dean softly pleaded.

"It won't be for very long," John said.

"I won't leave him," Ben stated firmly.

"Two can come back with him," The woman said.

Alec could still feel Dean's hesitance, but then he was being passed over. John held him and Ben latched onto his ankle as they walked through the doors.

* * *

John hated bringing his boys here. It was too close to being at Manticore and he could clearly see their distress at just sitting in the waiting room. But it got worse once they actually saw the doctor and he started running tests.

Alec shut down and Ben started to panic. Gone was the boy who readily defied guards, who rolled his eyes and smirked at concern, who didn't easily give real smiles, but when he did he had a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. His boy was resigned to his fate and didn't do anything to fight it. Alec was a fighter; for God's sake, his boy had pulled a gun on him twice with a broken wrist, concussion, and hypothermia.

He desperately wanted to get them out of there, but he needed answers. He wasn't going to let his youngest son suffer through this and maybe die if they didn't find a way to stop it.

The doctor had already checked his son's head and declared that he had a concussion. They'd given him warm fluids and a heated blanket to help keep off hypothermia. He'd also checked his wrist even though John had told him that they'd already taken care of that. John hated that the doctor wasted time with things they already knew how to fix. He just wanted the seizures to be fixed, and then they could go.

Alec shook on the table as the doctor ran more tests. He wasn't exactly asleep, but his eyes were closed and John couldn't tell if he knew what was going on anymore. The tests had been going on for a while now, and so far there was no end in sight.

Selfishly, John almost wished Dean was here instead of him. Alec responded better to Dean; maybe his oldest could better comfort his youngest. But he needed to hear what the doctor said; he needed to hear what they had to do to fix this.

"Alright," The doctor said softly after another 20 minutes. "I'm going to get these samples to a lab, and then we'll get him set up in a room."

"A room?" John asked, feeling his own flutter of panic. The doctor didn't know what was wrong with his boy.

"It will take a while for the tests to come back. I want him to be as comfortable as possible and this way we can monitor the seizures and maybe find a way to stop them."

"Will the rest of his family be allowed in the room?" John asked.

The doctor nodded and said, "We'll move you in just a minute."

* * *

Dean paced. He hated being left in the waiting room while Alec had to go through more seizures and tests. He tried to stay calm, but his worry was starting to get to him.

"Dean, he's gonna be ok, right?" Sam asked.

Dean took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He needed to be there for Sam and reassure his little brother. He walked back to Sam and sat next to him. He couldn't lie to his brother so he said, "I don't know…"

"This is all my fault," Sam said miserably.

"Sam-"

"I should've known something was wrong. Or the least I could've done was catch him. What if we're too late?"

"Sam, one thing I know for sure, this isn't your fault," Dean said. "This is something to do with Manticore. They messed with our brothers and somethin' they did made him have seizures."

"What if they can't stop them?" Sam asked.

"Then we won't stop until we find someone who can," Dean replied. "Even if that means finding someone from Manticore and makin' them tell us what will help." He shivered; he hadn't noticed that he was cold when he was holding Alec, but now that he was gone, he could feel it.

"Dean?" Sam asked, looking at him in concern.

"I'm ok, Sammy," Dean soothed.

Sam reached out and touched his hand, "Dean, you're freezing!"

"I'm ok," Dean argued.

Sam touched his sleeves, "Your sleeves are damp. Dean, you-"

"Sam-"

Before he could stop his little brother, Sam was up and walking over to the nurses desk. He couldn't hear what Sam was saying, but the nurse smiled at him like he was the cutest kid she'd ever seen. Dean rolled his eyes, but he was secretly proud of his brother even though he thought he was overreacting.

Sam came back with the biggest smile and a big blanket. He threw the blanket over him, sat down and snuggled close, and then gave the nurse a thumb's up.

"You're something else," Dean said with a chuckle.

"If you would take care of yourself, I wouldn't have to stoop to being the adorable little brother," Sam said.

"I take care of myself," Dean argued.

"No you don't. You should've changed before we left," Sam said.

"Sam, I didn't even realize I was cold until I sat down. Alec wasn't as warm as he usually is, but he was still warm enough to make me forget that I was in the water too," Dean tried to explain.

"Fine," Sam said. "Do you think Alec's ok?"

"I hope so," Dean replied.

"I like our brothers," Sam said quietly. "I don't want anything to happen to either of them."

"Me too Sammy," Dean agreed.

"Now I know why you've always been overprotective," Sam said, a small smile forming.

"Me? Overprotective? I don't think so…" Dean argued.

"It's a big brother thing," Sam said, ignoring him. "I get it now since I'm their big brother too."

"Just remember that _I_ am _your_ big brother," Dean pointed out. He didn't want Sam getting too many ideas.

"Well yeah," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "Where do you think I'm getting all this from?"

Dean chuckled, but then said, "We'll make sure he's ok. It's what big brothers are for."

"Alec's lucky," Sam said.

Dean frowned in confusion and asked, "How d'you figure?"

"He's got three big brothers," Sam stated. Dean laughed and ruffled Sam's hair. Sam swatted his hand away, but he was smiling now too. "Y'know what?"

"What?" Dean asked.

"That nurse keeps looking at you," Sam said.

Dean looked over and saw that the nurse that gave Sam the blanket was looking at him. She looked away as soon as he looked over. "Nah, she was lookin' at you. You're the cute little brother, remember?"

Sam snickered, "Whatever you say, Dean."

"Boys, they said we can see him now," Bobby said, coming back over to them.

* * *

Alec was cold and tired, but something had changed. Someone was holding him again instead of lying alone on an examination table.

"Alec, can you hear me kiddo?" Dean whispered. Alec nodded and felt Dean breathe out in relief. "We're all really worried about you…"

"Understatement," Sam muttered.

"Alec, please open your eyes," Ben begged on his other side.

Unable to ignore his brother's need, he forced his eyes open a crack. He hadn't realized how much he'd shut down when the doctor started his workup. He had to shut down though to block out the memories from Manticore. He'd always acted like nothing bothered him there, but he could never handle the tests. One doctor in particular seemed to relish his pain and brought him in all the time.

"Hey brother," Ben said with a watery smile when he finally got his eyes open.

"Hey…" Alec breathed out.

"We lost ya there for a while," Dean said. "How ya feelin'?"

"Cold," Alec admitted.

"I'll see if we can get another blanket," Bobby muttered.

The bed dipped at his feet, and then Sam said, "They gave you a muscle relaxer so your seizures have gone down." Dean was holding him, Ben was sitting next to him, and now Sam was sitting at his feet. He was surrounded, but it was a good surrounded. He felt safe.

"Did they figure out what's wrong?" Alec asked, his voice small. He didn't like this one bit, but he needed the seizures to stop.

"Not yet," John said from across the room.

"But they're still working on it," Dean quickly reassured.

Bobby came back into the room carrying a blanket that he carefully wrapped around him. "It's good to see ya awake, kid" Bobby said gruffly.

"Bobby, you're such a softie," Dean said with a small smile.

"Shut it," Bobby shot back with a glare. But he couldn't stop his own smile when Alec chuckled.

His chuckle died though when a doctor wearing a lab coat walked into the room. The doctor smiled when he saw him and said, "Well look who's awake." Alec stiffened, but Dean's arms tightened slightly around him. The doctor walked forward and shined a light in his eyes. "Pupils are reacting pretty well…How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Alec said shortly.

"Can I see your hands?" The doctor asked him. Alec hesitated, but then slowly reached out his trembling hands. The seizures had gone done, but he was still shaking slightly. "Looks like the muscle relaxer helped a little, but didn't take them away completely…"

Alec didn't say anything, but leaned further against Dean.

"Did you find anything to stop them?" John asked.

It was the doctor's turn to hesitate. He took a deep breath and said, "Not yet…Can I speak with you outside?"

Alec met Ben's eyes with panic. There was something the doctor didn't want to tell him.

John looked over at him and reassured, "I'll be right back, ok kiddo?"

Alec nodded and let Ben, Dean, and Sam's presence reassure him.

* * *

In his 9 years of practice, he had never seen anyone like Alec Winchester. The doctor in him wanted to find a way to fix what was happening to Alec, but the scientist in him wanted a chance to study the anomaly that had just appeared in his life.

"What?" John Winchester growled once they were outside. The man just wanted to be back with his son; wanted his son to be ok. He had to remember that Alec was just a kid and not a science experiment.

He took a deep breath and said, "There are anomalies in your son's blood. I've honestly never seen anything like it before…" What he wouldn't give to get some samples from Alec's twin. He wanted to see if the anomaly was the same in both of them. He wouldn't mind getting samples from the entire Winchester family…

"Did you find what was causing the seizures or not?" John asked.

"He has a serotonin imbalance that I believe is causing the seizures," he said. "At first I thought it was the trauma to his head, but since you said the seizure caused him to hit his head then it had to be something else."

"Ok, how do you fix it?"

"I have a guess, but we'll need to test it and monitor his reaction to it," he said.

"What's your guess?" John growled, his need for answers very clear.

"Tryptophan," he stated. "There's no guarantee that this will stop the seizures though which is why we need to monitor him."

"Pills? Or what?" John asked to clarify.

"There's tryptophan in milk, eggs, yogurt, but that would probably just slow them down," he said. John nodded in thought, but he kept going. "There are pills though that he could take if it works. We can talk about his diet changes or a prescription once we know for sure that this will work."

John curtly nodded before he turned and walked back into his son's room. He really didn't know how to react to John Winchester. He'd never met someone so gruff, yet caring. He was really surprised he was allowed to treat Alec at all considering how John was reacting.

He considered going back in there, but the draw of examining Alec's rare blood was pulling him away from his patient. He would come back in a little while to check on the boy again. He didn't want to miss his chance studying this.

* * *

Dean didn't know now if Alec's shaking was because of the seizures or because of the doctor. He knew Alec and Ben didn't like being here, but he could only guess that it was because of Manticore. Part of him wished he knew what his brothers had been through, but the other part was afraid to hear it.

Just going off what he'd seen already, the boys were used to pain. Neither one had complained about their injuries or had accepted any form of pain medicine. But as soon as the hospital had been mentioned, both of them had freaked out. Dean wanted to get them out of there, but he wanted Alec to get better more.

He and Alec both jumped when Dad suddenly came back in. He ran his hand down his face and looked around the room. Dean felt a flutter of panic that the doctor didn't have a way to fix the seizures. He couldn't lose Alec right after getting him.

"What is it?" Bobby asked, the only one brave enough to ask.

"We need to go," Dad stated.

"What?" He and Sam asked at the same time.

"Dean, you get the boys to the car," Dad continued like they hadn't said anything.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked.

"We can't leave!" Sam practically yelled. "They haven't stopped the seizures yet!"

"Sam," Dad growled in warning. "We don't have time for this."

Dean never wanted to argue with Dad, but he agreed with Sam. But he went about it a little less aggressively, "Dad, we need some answers before we go," Dean said gently. He glanced over at Ben and said, "We can't leave until they find a way to stop the seizures."

"They want to keep him over night," Dad said. Alec let out a squeak of panic so Dean rubbed his chest reassuringly.

"John…this a'int right. Alec's in pain-" Bobby started, but Dad cut him off.

"Don't you think I know that?" Dad yelled. "I can see that he's in pain, but we gotta go. That doctor's more interested in studying his blood than fixing his seizures."

"But how do we help Alec if we leave?" Sam demanded.

"The guy had a guess that might work. Me and Bobby will find it while you get to the car. They were just going to give it to him and monitor him, which we could do where he's actually comfortable," Dad said.

"What if it doesn't work?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "What if it doesn't stop his seizures?"

"Then we'll figure it out," Dad said. "If we have to, we'll go to another hospital, but there's no reason to stay at this one."

"Dad, I don't know…" Dean said. This was too big to just do what they usually did. They needed to know for sure that this would work for Alec.

"Alec," Ben said to get his brother's attention. "I think we should stay…" Alec's face fell; his hope had grown that they were leaving, but Dean thought they should stay too.

Dad sighed, but Dean quickly told Alec, "We'll leave once we find out this will work, ok kiddo?" Alec turned towards him and hid his face against his chest. Dean rubbed his little back, and then asked, "Alec, you hungry?" Alec nodded, so he looked to the rest of his family and asked, "Could someone get him some pudding or something? And maybe some more milk…"

"Sure thing, kid," Bobby said, already walking towards the door. He stopped though and said, "C'mon John, let's get all four boys somethin' to eat and maybe somethin' to snack on ourselves."

Dad grumbled, but eventually followed Bobby out the door.

"Dean, what do you think is gonna help Alec?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but I'll bet you anything that it has somethin' to do with milk," Dean said with a small smile.

"You really think so?" Sam asked.

"Yeah Sammy, I really think so," Dean said.

"But Dad said-"

"Sam, I know what Dad said, but I can tell," Dean cut off.

"I can tell too," Alec whispered, but Dean could hear his smile even though he sounded exhausted.

Sam's smile was bright enough to light up the entire room. "Ok, so from now on, we're gonna have to really pay attention to our groceries. We need milk around the clock and we can't slack off even though we don't have any money."

"Ok Sammy," Dean said with a chuckle. "We'll figure all of that out once we get out of here."

"Ok, but I know how you are with vegetables and taking care of yourself, and no offense Alec, but I'm afraid you might be a bit too much like Dean," Sam said. "I'm not taking any chances on this since I like having two little brothers."

Alec and Ben shared a look before Ben said, "We both really like having two big brothers."

"We can have one very small group hug before it gets to be too much of a chick-flick moment," Dean said. "I think we deserve it after everything, but we never mention it again."

Sam smiled at him while Alec and Ben looked at him in confusion. Both boys looked surprised when he and Sam wrapped their arms around them. Alec closed his eyes though after a moment and relaxed against him. The comfort helped them all, but Alec really needed it after the day he'd had.

"Um, Dean," Ben said quietly.

"Yeah kiddo?"

"He's asleep," Ben said.

Dean smiled and eased Alec to rest against his pillows. But Alec frowned in his sleep and his breathing became more erratic. "Ok Alec," Dean whispered, scooping Alec up again. He laid back so Alec could lie flat and held his little brother close. "It's been a rough day…"

Ben snuggled close to Alec on his other side, and then Dean felt Sam move at the end of the bed. His legs were suddenly being used as a pillow for his little brother; he knew his leg would probably fall asleep, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered more to him than his family, and it felt good to be all together.

* * *

Sam startled awake. He looked around for what woke him up, but it was dark in the room and it took him a moment to adjust. Dean and Alec were still asleep, but Ben was sitting up with his eyes closed tight and he was whispering to himself.

"Ben?" Sam asked. Ben's eyes flew open, but he looked down at Alec in panic. "What's going on?"

"The shakes are starting to come back," Ben said in distress. "I just want him to be ok."

Sam hesitated, but then admitted, "I've been praying…"

Ben looked up in surprise and he quickly asked, "You believe in the Blue Lady too?"

Sam frowned, "Who?"

"The Blue Lady protects us," Ben said. "She helped us escape from Manticore and gave us a family."

"I'm glad she helped get you to us," Sam said truthfully. He wasn't sure who the Blue Lady was, but if she was the reason he had two more brothers then he would love her forever.

"I just hope that she can help Alec," Ben whispered.

"Me too," Sam said. "Y'know, there's a chapel in the hospital if you wanna go there…"

Ben looked at him blankly and said, "I don't know what that is."

"It's a place where people go to pray," Sam tried to explain. He didn't know much about church and praying since Dad and Dean didn't do that kind of thing, but he had started to pray for them all the time. What Dad and Dean did was dangerous and he was scared to death that he was going to lose them. He had added Alec and Ben to his prayer list before he even knew their real names. "We can go if you want. I'm sure someone can show us where it is."

Ben looked back at Alec and shook his head, "I can't leave him." Sam nodded in understanding; he didn't want to leave Alec either. A tremor suddenly shook Alec, and he and Ben reached out at the same time to touch his arm. "Do you think we should wake Dean up?" Ben asked.

Sam looked at his older brother; Dean was tired and he didn't want to wake him up. But Dean would want to know what was going on. He poked Dean's shoulder and whispered, "Dean…"

"Mmm…"

"Dean, Alec's shaking again," Sam said.

"Wha'?"

"Alec," Sam hissed, shaking Dean's shoulder.

Dean quickly sat up, but then looked at Alec in panic. He breathed out in relief that Alec was still asleep, but then frowned in concern when he saw Alec shaking. Dean looked around the room and Sam followed his gaze to see what he was looking for. "Where're Dad and Bobby?"

Sam shrugged, "I don't know…I didn't think to look for them…"

"Any idea if they gave him the medicine?" Dean asked, running his hand down his face.

"I fell asleep," Sam admitted in shame. He should've paid more attention. He knew Dean needed sleep, but he should've stayed awake and looked after Alec.

"Sam, it's ok," Dean reassured. He gently eased Alec off of him before he got up. "I'm going to find the doctor." Sam immediately got up and started to follow after his big brother. Dean stopped though and looked back at him, "Sam, you stay here, ok?"

"Dean-" Sam started to protest.

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but Ben was the one who cut him off, "I'll stay with him. You two find the doctor."

Now he was torn; Ben shouldn't sit here alone, but he was afraid of what Dean was going to do when he found the doctor. Dean and doctors just didn't get along, especially when someone Dean loved was involved.

Dean didn't wait for him to decide; he turned and started for the door.

"Go Sam," Ben whispered.

Sam nodded and ran after Dean. He didn't know what the plan was to find the doctor, but Dean would know. Dean always knew what to do. When Alec fell on the ice, he knew Dean would take care of everything.

Dean was already at the nurse's station and asking a million questions, all while ignoring the nurse smiling at him and making googly eyes. Dean would have probably noticed, but right now he was on a mission.

Sam didn't catch what the nurse said because by the time he got next to Dean, they were off again. He was practically running to keep up with Dean. They were both worried about Alec, and Sam was afraid that his little brother was having seizures again.

"Hey!" Dean called out.

A man turned, and Sam recognized him as Alec's doctor. "Can I help you?" The doctor asked in confusion.

"My brother's having seizures again," Dean stated. Sam could hear the barely controlled anger in his voice. "Did you give him the medicine or not?"

His eyes lit up suddenly, making Sam scowl. This guy just now recognized them; he should've known who they were right off since Alec and Ben looked just like Dean. The doctor looked a little sheepish before he admitted, "I haven't given him anything yet…I got a little distracted."

"With what?" Dean growled. Sam's eyes widened; he knew that tone. Dean was pissed and this doctor was about a second away from getting knocked on his ass. "What could be more important than my little brother?"

The doctor looked around uncomfortably, and Sam hoped for his sake, he wouldn't answer the question. "I'm going right now," The doctor finally replied.

"Answer the question!" Dean shouted. Sam jumped and so did the doctor. Dean didn't yell very often, but when he did, you knew it was serious.

"I-I was examining his blood," The doctor said quickly. "It's fascinating."

Dean went deadly still, and Sam knew what was coming and he knew he should stop it but he didn't want to. Dean took a step forward and said, "My brother, my little 9 year old brother, is in pain and is scared that he could die, and you're too busy with nothing to even check on him! His _twin brother_ is alone with him right now because _we_ had to come fine _you_. So get off your ass and do your job."

Sam reached out and touched his brother's arm. When Dean didn't move, he gently urged, "C'mon Dean, let's go back to Alec. He might be awake now…" Dean still didn't move, so Sam turned to the doctor and said, "He's not gonna move until you do. Get whatever medicine it is and go."

The doctor finally moved, which was the trigger for Dean to move. Sam went along with Dean for a little bit; Dean was still really tense, but he thought he could get him to loosen up a little. "That was pretty cool," Sam said with a small smile.

"What?" Dean asked, barely looking over at him.

"You're pretty cool Dean," Sam said.

Dean let out a surprised chuckled, "Ok Sammy."

"No, for real Dean," Sam said. "You've always stuck up for me and it's really cool to see you do it for Alec too. Alec's lucky because he has three big brothers to look out for him, but me, Ben, and Alec are all lucky to have _you_ as a big brother."

Dean looked away from him, and he knew his brother was uncomfortable. But a second later, Dean's arm wrapped around his shoulders and he was pulled against his big brother's side. Sam smiled as Dean ruffled his hair and they walked back to Alec's room.

* * *

Alec was awake once he and Sam got back to his room. He was awake and shaking worse than he had been before. Ben looked over at them as soon as they walked in, and he breathed out in relief. Dean knew Ben was strong, but this whole thing was scary.

"Hey," Dean breathed out. "How you guys doin'?"

Ben didn't answer, but Alec tried to smile and said, "J-just p-pea-eachy…"

Dean huffed out a laugh and walked over to them. "The doctor should be here soon."

"Dean almost beat him up," Sam said excitedly.

He couldn't argue with that, but he chuckled when Alec laughed. It was good to hear Alec laugh again; he seemed to light up the whole room when he laughed. Alec grimaced though when pain shot through him. Dean moved without even having to think about it and picked Alec up again and held him close.

"He's coming soon," Dean whispered to Alec. His brother shook in his arms, but nodded against his chest.

"W-where did J-john and B-b-bobby go?" Alec asked.

"I don't know, kiddo, but I'm sure they'll be back soon," Dean reassured. Alec was like him in this aspect too. He was already attached to the people around him and he didn't like not knowing where they were.

Luckily for the doctor, he did show up a few minutes later. He gave Alec some pills to take, and then left the room as fast as he could.

"Maybe we should've just gone back to Bobby's," Dean muttered, running his hand over Alec's short hair.

"We could still go," Sam suggested.

"Let's just see if this will work," Dean said.

Alec fell back asleep after a while, and Dean was happy to see that his shaking started to go down too. Dad and Bobby finally came back carrying snacked for all of them. They let Alec sleep, but saved back some pudding and milk for him when he did wake up.

The doctor checked on Alec after a few hours, but it seemed like the pills actually did work. He still wanted to keep Alec there, but now they knew what would help.

"Dean," Dad said once the doctor left. "Let's take him home."

Dean nodded in agreement, but looked to Ben to make sure he thought they should take Alec home too. Ben gave him a small smile and squeezed Alec's hand. "I think we should go," Ben whispered.

Dean smiled and picked Alec up.

* * *

"How's he doin'?" John asked above him. His voice was slightly muffled though, but that was because he'd just started to wake up again.

"Better so far," Dean replied cautiously. "He still gets some pretty strong ones every once in a while, but nothing like it was."

"Good," John said. "Maybe the pills will work…"

"He'll probably have to take them every day," Dean said. "We're gonna need some more…"

"I know…"

"And what if Ben has 'em too?"

Alec's heartrate picked up at the panic that Ben might have to go through this too. He didn't want that for his brother and he would gladly take on more pain if he could prevent it.

"I'll pick up extra if I can find 'em," John said.

"You goin' out again?"

"Bobby's goin' with me. We've gotta get some more pills and I want to check that Manticore hasn't caught wind of us. You stay with the boys and keep 'em safe," John ordered.

"I will," Dean promised.

"Good. I'll be back in a couple hours."

Alec could hear his footsteps walking away before the door opened, and then closed again. "It's just us now boys," Dean said to himself. "I know you're all tired, but I'm getting a little bored here talkin' to myself. Not to mention a little sleepy, since you three are freakin' heaters…I guess I shouldn't complain though. I like it a lot better here than at the hospital."

"Me too…" Alec whispered.

Dean gave a little jump of surprise before he ran his hand over his short hair. "Hey kiddo-"

"I'm sore and tired," Alec said before Dean could ask.

Dean chuckled, "I guess we've been askin' you that a lot, huh?" Alec nodded against Dean's side. Now that his eyes were open, he could see Sam on Dean's other side and Ben snuggled up against his own side. "Well, the tryptophan seems to have helped a little bit at least."

"Is Ben ok?" Alec asked, shooting a worried look to his brother.

As if sensing that he was awake, Ben suddenly jumped in his sleep before he startled awake. "Alec? You ok?" Ben immediately asked.

"Alec's up?" Sam asked sleepily.

"I'm ok," Alec said, hoping to ease some of their worry.

"You need anything?" Dean asked him.

"I gotta go to the bathroom…" Alec muttered, embarrassment tinting his cheeks. He'd gone at the hospital, but the nurses had helped him then and now he didn't want to ask for help.

"Alright, c'mon, time to untangle," Dean said. He got the blankets off of them and slowly stood up before he turned back and picked him up.

"I can walk…" Alec said, even though he wasn't sure if that was true or not. He just didn't want to be a burden for Dean.

"Let's just try standing first, and then we'll see," Dean gently said, continuing their trip to the bathroom.

Dean set him down once they were there and let him take on some of his own weight. His legs definitely were having trouble holding him. He felt so weak and frustrated; he couldn't even stand by himself.

"Just lean on me for support and I'll turn around so you can have some privacy," Dean said.

Alec almost frowned; he'd never had privacy a day in his life. His body belonged to Manticore and they got to do whatever they wanted. But it felt nice to have some privacy and to save just a shred of his dignity. Not only that, but he felt a lot better now that he'd gotten to relieve himself.

"Ok, back to the sofa now for some more resting and probably some more milk if you want it," Dean said once he was done.

He didn't have the strength to argue. He let Dean get him situated again before he sat down next to him so he could lean against him.

"You wanna watch TV?" Dean asked.

He wasn't sure what that was, but since Dean suggested it, it was probably ok. "Sure…" Alec timidly replied.

Dean smiled and turned on the box that sat in front of them. A picture appeared that Alec had never seen before and it moved. It was like the training videos at Manticore only this wasn't showing drills. Alec looked over at Ben, but found that his brother was already looking at him instead of the TV.

Ben silently asked him if he really was ok and he shrugged back. He was better than before, but he felt drained.

"Dean, do you think it'd be ok if I went through some of Bobby's books?" Sam asked.

"Depends on what books you're thinking of," Dean hedged.

"Not those, I promise," Sam said.

"Alright, I guess it's ok," Dean said. "Just bring them in here, ok?"

Sam rolled his eyes, "Well duh."

Dean chuckled as Sam ran out of the room.

"What is this?" Alec asked Dean, pointing to the TV.

"This looks like Gilligan's Island," Dean said. "It's pretty funny if you want to watch it."

Alec really didn't care what they watched; he just liked the TV in general. He snuggled against Dean and watched the show. Dean was right, it was pretty funny.

Alec's eyes started to droop again when Sam came back in carrying a stack of books. He sat down in the middle of the room and opened up the first one. The books were big and Alec really wasn't sure what Sam wanted with them.

"Sam, what're you doin'?" Dean asked before he could.

Sam looked up in surprise, but then glanced over at him in embarrassment. "Um…nothing…"

"Are those medical books?" Dean asked, leaning forward slightly.

"I just wanna help!" Sam quickly defended.

"Help?" Ben asked, confused.

Sam looked down and mumbled, "I wanna find out what I can about seizures and tryptophan…"

Alec's cheeks flushed and he quickly hid his face against Dean's side. He felt Ben move off of the sofa, and then he asked, "Can I look with you?"

"Sure!" Sam immediately replied, passing over one of the books.

"You wanna try and get some more sleep?" Dean asked him softly after a few minutes.

Alec nodded and let Dean ease him down and wrap another blanket around him.

"Dean, you should get some sleep too," Sam said. "You look exhausted."

"I'm alright, Sammy," Dean replied.

But Alec thought he looked tired too. His pride was going to take another hit, but it'd be worth it. He reached up and tugged on Dean's sleeve to get his attention again.

"Yeah kiddo?" Dean instantly asked.

Alec motioned for him to come closer, and then he whispered, "Will you…um…hold me until I fall asleep?"

Dean gave him a soft smile and replied, "Sure thing kiddo."

Dean lay down next to him and he moved to snuggled against Dean's chest. "Thanks Dean."

"No problem Alec," Dean said, his voice already sounding more sleepy.

Alec shot a quick look over at Ben who smiled back at him knowingly. He glanced over at Sam who nodded back at him gratefully. He turned back to Dean and relaxed back into sleep.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad you all like it!_

* * *

This was a waste of time. He had 13 transgenic kids to track down; he did not have time to come back to base for an update. 13 transgenic kids had escaped on his watch and all he could think about was getting them back. And it wasn't just because this was his job. The X5's felt like his own kids and he needed to find them.

He knew each designation of the kids who escaped. They were all in the same unit except for 494. It took him longer than it should have to realize why 494 had escaped with them. 494 was headstrong and disobedient, sure, but he knew the transgenic would never attempt to escape. It was suicide, and he knew 494 valued his life and would fight to keep it. But 493 gave him a reason to. Somehow 493 and 494 had met each other, which meant he had 13 children to find instead of just 12.

"This had better be good," Lydecker growled as he walked into the room.

A young man jumped up from where he was sitting in front of a computer and stood at attention. "Sir, I have a lead."

"What is it?" Lydecker asked. He wouldn't get his hopes up, but it was a good sign that he was confident enough to call him in.

"One of them made it to South Dakota," the young man said. He was clearly trying to hide his excitement, but Lydecker could tell.

"How do you know?"

"I've been keeping tabs on all of the hospitals and watching for any red flags. Sioux Falls General Hospital in South Dakota just put up a giant red flag."

"Start talking."

"Two days ago someone ran a blood test with low levels of serotonin and something they couldn't identify. It was right in line with the X5's, but the only problem is, the blood was weak. The subject had more human DNA than what we have in our subjects so it might not be one of them..."

"Get me a list of patients," Lydecker ordered. He felt something tight in his chest at the thought of one of his kids going through the seizures. They should have never left. They didn't know how to take care of themselves and they would die because of it.

"I already did, sir, but how will you know which name the subject used? There are no John or Jane Doe's on the list."

"I already have a guess…" Lydecker muttered. He flipped through the list and looked for anything that popped out. The blood was the big clue. He only knew two transgenics who had blood with more human DNA than the others and they had escaped together. He just wasn't sure how 493 and 494 had made it all the way to South Dakota.

Until he saw the name 'Alec Winchester' printed in the middle of the page.

* * *

Alec was thankful that the seizures had stopped, but now he couldn't move without drawing someone's attention. If he wanted to get up and go to the bathroom, then Ben and Dean would reach out to see if he needed help. If he wanted something to eat, then Sam was there with the approved food that Sam deemed he should eat. If he wanted to go outside, then John or Dean was with him at all times. They were on seizure patrol and they were slowly driving him insane.

The only person who wasn't driving him crazy was Bobby. The older man was keeping an eye on him, but he was giving him some space. He found that he was seeking out Bobby's company since he would just leave him be. He liked being around people, but he couldn't take all of the concern.

Alec looked around the dark room and tried to plan his escape. Ben was asleep next to him, but he was pretty sure his brother would be instantly awake if he moved. If he could make it out of his room, then he'd have to sneak down the hall and past Sam's room, and then Dean's room. If by some miracle he made it down the stairs without alerting anyone, then he'd have to get by John who was asleep in the living room.

He didn't even know what he wanted to do; he just wanted to have the freedom to do something. And he thought it would be a little fun to try to make it past everyone without getting caught. It would be like at Manticore only the consequences of getting caught wouldn't be nearly as bad.

Alec slowly moved to get out of bed, but froze when Ben turned towards him. He waited until he thought Ben was asleep again before he got up. He was halfway across the room when Ben mumbled, "Alec, where're you going?"

He sighed and muttered, "Just downstairs…" Ben started to get up, but he quickly stopped him, "Ben, John's downstairs. I'll be fine."

"Mkay…but I'll be up in a few…" Ben slurred.

Alec rolled his eyes, but walked out of the room. He wanted to blur down the stairs to avoid Sam and Dean, but he was still taking it easy. He didn't want to waste too much energy because although he was feeling better, he really didn't want the seizures to come back. Everyone was watching out for his seizures to come back, but no one was watching more than he was.

He hated the seizures. They were scary and they hurt and it would be too soon if he never had another one. But he needed to figure out what his limitations were. He needed to know that he could still go outside and run around and could exercise and have fun without having a seizure every two seconds. He needed to know these things and he couldn't figure out his limitations if they wouldn't let him.

He made it down the stairs without alerting anyone, and luckily John was asleep in the recliner so he was free to do whatever he wanted.

He immediately started for the door. One of the things he loved most was being outside, and that's where he wanted to be. His hand was just about to touch the doorknob when someone stopped him.

"What d'you think you're doin'?" Bobby growled.

Alec looked over in shock, but then quickly tried to cover, "I just wanted to check on something."

Bobby huffed, "Not dressed like that you aren't." Alec frowned as Bobby walked over to him. "It's freezing out and you have a track record for hypothermia."

Alec deflated in defeat and hung his head, "I'm sorry…"

Bobby smiled at him though and nodded for him to come over to him. Alec took a few steps forward and waited for his punishment. Bobby knelt down though and said, "It's a lot."

"What?" Alec asked, confused.

"They're givin' you a lot of attention and it's a lot for you," Bobby said. "You've never had anyone lookin' out for you, and now you've got people watchin' out for you and makin' sure you're ok. It's a lot to get used to."

Alec nodded since he didn't know what to say.

"But they've got a good reason to worry," Bobby continued. "Since you don't got enough sense to even put on a coat before goin' outside when it's freezin'."

"I didn't think about it…"

"I know you didn't," Bobby said with a small smile. "Which is why we worry."

"We never wore coats at Manticore," Alec admitted.

"Well, it's time you start wearin' one," Bobby said. "C'mon, I've got one of Dean's old ones you can wear so you don't have to go back through the minefield." Alec smiled and followed Bobby to the kitchen. Bobby got him bundled up before he led him over to the door. "I know you don't want a chaperone, but I'm goin' out there with you. Your Daddy would kill me if I let you wander around by yourself."

Alec wanted to argue that John wasn't his Dad, but he let it go since he was getting to go outside. And Bobby was a good chaperone to have.

"What did you wanna do outside?" Bobby casually asked him, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Alec shrugged, "I don't know…I just wanted to go outside."

"Alright, well, lead the way," Bobby said, gesturing for the door.

Alec couldn't stop his smile as he walked outside. He still didn't know what to do, but it didn't matter. He could breathe when he was outside. He was free. And it was all thanks to Ben. He didn't want to leave, but Ben did and he was so thankful that he left with his brother.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the crisp air. The air hurt his lungs since it was so cold, but it also felt good. If he could, he would stay out here forever.

"What do you want to do?" Alec suddenly asked Bobby.

"Me? Well…" Bobby adjusted his hat, and then asked, "You wanna help me move some cars?"

Alec's eyes widened and he broke into a slow smile. "Yes!"

"Ok, you need one thing first," Bobby said, kneeling down next to him.

"What is it?" Alec asked. He wanted to be good at whatever they were going to do.

Bobby pulled off his hat and plopped it on his head. The hat was too big for him and almost covered his eyes, but he gave Bobby a wide smile. He really liked the hat!

Bobby chuckled, "You're a cute little kid." He adjusted the back of the hat so it fit better, and then said, "Now, let's go move some cars."

* * *

Ben woke up again and immediately panicked. Alec wasn't sleeping next to him; he didn't know where Alec was so he couldn't help his brother if he had a seizure. He had to find Alec.

He got up and ran to Dean's room. He jumped up on Dean's bed even though he was asleep and shook his shoulder. He had hoped that Alec would be in Dean's room, but he wasn't. So, he needed Dean to help him find Alec.

"Dean, wake up," Ben said. He really hoped he didn't get in trouble for this, but he was more worried about Alec. Dean didn't wake up though, so he tried again, "Dean, I don't know where Alec is…"

"Alright…I'm up," Dean mumbled.

"Dean, what if he's having another seizure," Ben said in a rush. "What if he fell and hit his head again? Or hurt his wrist? Or he probably went outside! What if he's outside?"

"Ben, calm down," Dean said, sitting up. "We'll find him, ok? He's probably just downstairs with Dad or Bobby."

"Oh…" Ben muttered. He hadn't thought about that. Alec could be just fine and watching TV or something, but the first thing he did was panic.

"C'mon, let's go look."

Dean got up and he quickly followed. He knew he shouldn't panic, but Alec was his brother and his best friend. He felt helpless because of the seizures, but the least he could do was be there for him.

He had just started to relax and think Alec was fine until they got downstairs. John was asleep in the recliner, the TV was off, and Alec was nowhere to be seen. Dean ran his hand through his hair as he started to panic again.

"Ben, it's ok," Dean reassured softly. "We can't freak out until we've looked everywhere. He's probably fine. Bobby could be with him and they could be in the kitchen or downstairs or outside…we'll find him, ok?"

Ben nodded and let Dean lead the way again. He didn't even know where they were going; he was only looking for Alec and nothing else mattered. He needed to know where his brother was. He remembered now that he had woken up when Alec had shifted the bed. He'd meant to get up just a few minutes later, but he'd fallen asleep again and had lost his brother.

Dean stopped and suddenly Ben just then realized they were outside. "What's wrong?" Ben asked.

Dean smiled and said, "I think I know where he is."

"Where? How do you know?" Ben asked. He should know where Alec was, he was his twin.

"There's somethin' Bobby would probably want to show him," Dean said. "C'mon, I think you'll like it too."

Dean started walking again, and he quickly trailed behind. He reached out and grabbed Dean's shirt just to make sure that he didn't disappear. Dean knew where his brother was, so he needed to keep track of Dean.

Dean looked over at him, and he thought he was going to tell him to let go of his shirt, but he didn't.

Dean stopped again and knelt down beside him. Ben looked at him in confusion, wondering where Alec was. "Look," Dean said, pointing over at something. Ben followed where Dean was pointing, and his mouth dropped open in shock.

He could see Alec, wearing what looked like Bobby's hat only backwards, sitting on Bobby's lap in a giant machine. The machine grabbed a car, picked it up, and then carefully set it on top of a stack of other cars. Alec's smile was huge and it looked like he was actually controlling the machine that was moving the cars. Bobby pointed and Alec steered the machine to pick up another car.

"Let's go see what they're doin'," Dean said.

Dean waved and Bobby and Alec looked their way. Alec quickly motioned for them to come over and opened the door to the machine. "Ben! Come here! You've gotta try this!"

Ben glanced over at Dean to make sure it was ok, and Dean nodded with encouragement. Ben took off once he got permission and climbed up to where his brother was. Alec scooted over to just one of Bobby's legs so he could sit on the other.

"We're moving cars," Alec said, focusing again on what he had been doing.

Ben wanted to chastise Alec for disappearing like that, but he could tell Alec was actually having fun. He settled in to let Alec do what he wanted.

* * *

Bobby picked Alec up once he finally fell asleep. They'd moved cars until it was dark and they could hardly see anything. It had been a day long activity that Alec never grew tired of. Dean had brought them something to eat two times during the day. John came out to sit with the boys so he could go to the bathroom and stretch. Alec refused to move until Sam forced him to take a break. Ben didn't even go back inside until a few hours ago. Who knew the kid would like moving cars so much?

Alec rested his head against his shoulder as he slowly walked back to the house. His hat nearly fell off, but somehow it stayed on. He knew he wouldn't be getting that hat back, but he was ok with it. Alec really was a cute kid, and so was Ben. He was already attached to the boys even though he'd only met them a few days ago.

"What happened? Is he ok?" John asked in a rush as soon as they walked in. He kept his voice down though because Ben was asleep next to him.

"He's fine," Bobby quickly reassured. "He just wore himself out. We moved every car in the yard." He was proud of Alec; the kid was actually really good at it. He'd been a little nervous to let Alec be the one to move the cars, but they were already broken so he couldn't do much more damage. But Alec didn't break anything.

Bobby sat down and shifted Alec so he was in his lap. It felt good to be holding a kid again. Dean hardly ever let him take care of him when he was little, and then Dean always took care of Sam. He always wanted kids, but Sam and Dean were like his own and now Alec and Ben were on that list too.

"Looks like you've lost a hat," John said. "I have a feeling Alec doesn't give things back once he thinks they're his."

"That's alright. I've got a bunch more that I can wear," Bobby said.

"Did he shake at all?" John asked. "Hands trembling? Or anything?"

"No, he's alright. He took his pills and he moved cars like a pro," Bobby said. "Look John, I know you're worried. Watchin' him have seizures is somethin' I never wanna see again, but you've gotta give him some space. He's not used to this."

John looked away from him. He was pushing it, but this was important. Alec needed time to get used to people watching out for him. He wasn't going to get used to it overnight, but hopefully he would get used to it eventually.

"We're gonna have to go soon," John said to change the subject. And Bobby thought to hurt him a little. He was getting too close to his boys and now he was going to take them away. "I can't risk Manticore finding them, and right now, staying in one spot for too long isn't a great idea."

Bobby held Alec a little closer, feeling the need to protect the kid. Instead, he asked, "You gonna teach 'em hunting?"

"Dean doesn't want me to, but eventually I'll teach 'em. They need to know what's out there and how to protect themselves," John said.

Bobby didn't say anything. He didn't agree with how John was raising his boys, but if he argued now, he'd never get to see the boys again. He couldn't accept that. He needed to be here for the boys.

He decided he would hold Alec until the kid woke up. He'd had a rough few days, he probably needed the comfort, and if he was going to be leaving soon, then he didn't want to miss his chance. He didn't know when John would bring the boys again, but he hoped it would be soon. He looked down at Alec wearing his hat that was too big and he smiled.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	12. Chapter 12

"I don't understand," Alec grumbled. "Why are we leaving Bobby's?" He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted; he was in the middle in the backseat and they were leaving his favorite place and he didn't like it. He wanted to stay at Bobby's and move the cars, and work on them, and play at the creek. He didn't know where they were going, but he wanted to stay.

"Alec, me and Dean have somethin' we've gotta do," John said.

"What is it?" Alec asked. Now he was interested. John had that tone that meant he was hiding something, and he wanted to know what that was.

"It's complicated…" John hedged. "But you boys will get to go to school for the first time."

Alec frowned; he didn't like the sound of that. "What's school?"

"It's where we get to learn stuff," Sam said. He sounded excited about it, so maybe it wasn't terrible. But he wanted to do what John and Dean were doing.

"I'm not so sure I want to do that," Alec replied. "I think I'd rather do what John and Dean are doing."

"Alec," Ben hissed.

John chuckled though and said, "How about we try school first? You might like it."

"I doubt that…" Alec muttered under his breath. Dean chuckled and smiled back at him.

"I think it sounds fun," Ben said quietly. Of course Ben would think school sounded fun. Ben liked books and reading and so far that's what school sounded like. It didn't sound like there was much time for fun or running around.

"Alec, there's this thing called recess that you're gonna love," Dean said. "And there's gonna be other kids that you guys can play with.

"What's recess?"

"Alec, just give it a try ok?" Dean said. "You might like it."

"What if I don't like it?" He was really pushing his luck; he didn't know how many questions he was allowed to ask, but until he got in trouble he wasn't going to stop.

"Alec, all kids have to go to school," John said. "Even Dean has to go to school."

"Really?"

Dean made a face at him and nodded. Alec couldn't help laughing and decided he could give school a try.

"We gotta go over a few things though before you go," John said. Alec frowned and shared a look with Ben. This didn't sound good. "In public we're a family and the school will expect me to be your Dad…"

Alec still didn't think John was their Dad, but he could play pretend. Manticore was training them to go undercover so this would be just like that.

Ben nodded next to him, making him huff. Of course Ben would just agree to whatever John said.

"Fine…" Alec breathed out.

* * *

"Alright, you've got backpacks, lunch, notebooks, pencils…Sammy, am I missin' anything?" Dean asked over his shoulder. Alec was fidgeting in front of him, but Ben was waiting patiently as he got them ready for their first day of school. He was actually nervous about his little brothers going to school. He wanted them to stay with him and he wanted to be able to watch over them.

"Does Alec have his pills?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded, and then looked to Alec, "And I have some in my bag if something happens, ok?"

"Ok," Alec replied.

"It's gonna be good," Dean tried to reassure. "Just think about recess, ok?" Ben and Alec both nodded. "And remember what we talked about. Don't mention Manticore or anything that happened there. The teachers wouldn't understand and things could get really complicated."

Dean fixed Alec's collar and checked the back of his neck. They had t-shirts and flannel, but Dean was still worried that their barcodes could be seen.

"Dean, I can't see them," Sam reassured. "The flannel covers them up."

"Don't take off the flannel shirts, ok?" Dean asked. "People freak out if they see tattoos on kids."

"We'll be good," Ben promised. "No one will ever know."

"It's like going undercover," Alec said with a smile.

Dean rubbed Alec's head and chuckled, "Yeah, it's kinda like goin' undercover."

"You boys ready?" Dad asked, walking in.

Dean took a deep breath and nodded. "C'mon, let's go get in the car."

Sam, Ben, and Alec all ran outside and Dean slowly walked to the door. He watched as the boys fought over who had to sit in the middle, and he smiled when Alec ended up losing.

"I'll search the house while you're at school," Dad said. "Keep an eye on the boys, ok?"

"Yes sir," Dean replied. Dad didn't even have to tell him to watch out for his brothers; he was going to do that no matter what.

"If I find anything, we'll look into it tonight," Dad said.

"Dad, I thought we were going to wait to do this," Dean said. "We were going to get Alec and Ben used to this before we started hunting again."

" _They_ aren't hunting. It's just me and you hunting," Dad grumbled.

"I want them to have a normal life for a little while. I want to be around them and teach them things that kids do. I don't want them to have to see us hurt," Dean said. He didn't argue with Dad, but this was important. Alec and Ben deserved to be kids.

"Dean, get in the car," Dad ordered.

He took a deep breath and muttered, "Yes sir."

He slapped a smile on his face as he got closer to the car; this was Alec and Ben's first day of school and he was going to put on a happy face and try to convince them that school was fun. He was pretty sure Alec wasn't going to be convinced, but he was going to push recess until Alec was older. Once he was older then he would bribe him with hunting. Alec would probably like hunting just as much as he did, so that would work. He really hoped Ben liked school because he wasn't sure yet what he could bribe him with.

"Dean, is everything ok?" Sam whispered. His smile must really suck right now.

"Yeah Sammy, everything's fine," Dean replied. He looked over at Alec and Ben and said, "Once school's over I'll come find you guys, ok? Don't leave without me and Sam, ok?"

"Ok," Alec and Ben said at the same time.

Dean nodded and they sat in silence on their way to school. He was nervous again once they got there. Dad took off once he dropped them off and Dean led the way into the school. Dad had signed them up yesterday so he didn't really need to be there, but it would've been nice for Alec and Ben if he would've stayed.

Dean stopped by the office and found out where to take the boys before he led the way down the hall. They were late. What a great start for their first day. At least they probably wouldn't be here for very long.

"See ya after school, Sammy," Dean said once they were at his classroom.

Sam smiled, and then walked into his classroom. Dean ushered the boys further down the hall until he got to their room.

"Ok, you know where Sammy's at if you need something, but make sure you really need it, ok? The teachers don't like it if you just walk out of class whenever you want. So, make sure you listen to the teacher and do what she says," Dean said.

They both nodded so Dean opened the door.

* * *

"And this kid kept kicking the back of my chair. I told him to knock it off, but he kept doing it. I wanted to punch him right in the face, but I knew Ben was giving me that disapproving look that he's got so I didn't. And I didn't want to mess things up, especially on our first day," Alec said, talking as fast as he could. "And the teacher can't tell us apart because we're identical, but you do just fine at it so I don't know why she can't. She called us the wrong names all day. One time she even called me Steven, which isn't even close to my name or Ben's name."

Dean blinked a couple times, trying to take it all in, but then he smiled and asked, "So you liked it?"

Alec sighed dramatically and said, "No. I like recess just like you said, but the rest of it was useless."

Dean chuckled and looked over at Ben. "Did you like any of it?"

Ben shrugged and said, "I really liked reading, but Alec's right, the rest was useless."

"What d'you guys mean by useless?" Dean asked, trying not to laugh.

"We learned this stuff when we were babies," Alec said bluntly.

Ben nudged him and corrected, "We weren't babies…but we were pretty young. This is really easy compared to what we were learning."

"And we've got these awesome memories. Once we read something, we know it forever," Alec said.

"Where's Sam? I saw him at lunch time and he mentioned something about a library," Ben said.

Dean scanned the crowd of students all looking for their rides until he saw Sam's shaggy hair coming towards them. "It looks like he's on his way," Dean said.

"What're we gonna do while they go to the library?" Alec asked, looking up at him with his big green eyes.

He really needed to meet up with Dad and go over the hunt, but Alec wanted to hang out with him. And he didn't want to make Alec go to the library. "We'll think of something," Dean said with a smile.

"Dean, I was gonna take Ben to the library. Is that ok?" Sam asked as he ran up to them. "Alec can come too if he wants to."

"Pass," Alec muttered under his breath.

Dean tried to hide his smile and said, "Yeah, you guys can go to the library. Just get back to the motel before it gets dark."

Sam gave him a knowing look and nodded. "C'mon Ben."

Ben looked to Alec, but they both looked torn. Dean realized this would be the first time they would really be apart since Manticore. When they had been apart, they were never very far away from each other.

"Alec-"

"It'll be ok," Alec whispered. Ben still didn't look so sure so Alec said, "I'll go to the library."

"No Alec, it's just weird…" Ben said. "And you'd be really bored there."

"I can suck it up," Alec replied. "I don't know if I can do this."

"I've got an idea," Dean cut in. "Me and Alec will hang out near the library. That way you still get to do what you want, but you won't be too far apart." Alec and Ben still looked uncertain. "We can try it and if it doesn't work then we'll come over to the library, ok?"

They finally nodded so all four of them started walking down the street. Alec and Ben walked side by side; Alec was talking Ben's ear off, but Ben was laughing and nodding to what Alec was saying. They were inseparable.

"Have you heard anything from Dad yet?" Sam whispered to him.

Dean kept his focus on Alec and Ben to make sure they weren't listening before he said, "Not yet, but I'll probably catch up with him after I get you guys some dinner."

"Dean, what if something happens?" Sam asked. "I thought you said we were going to wait to do this…"

"I wanna wait, but it's not up to me," Dean muttered.

"At least tell me where it's at so if something does happen then I know where to look," Sam practically begged.

"It's in an abandoned house outside of town," Dean said. "But that's all I'm gonna tell you. I don't want you out there either, ok?"

Sam gave him a sideways glare and said, "I'll go out there if I have to, Dean."

"You won't have to. It's gonna be an easy one," Dean said.

"You don't know that for sure," Sam argued.

"Sam, just drop it." He looked back at Alec and Ben just in time to see Alec quickly look away from him. He sighed and just hoped that Alec hadn't heard anything.

"Whoa! Dean look!" Alec said excitedly after they walked a few more blocks.

Dean smiled when he saw the building with a UFO on it and a lot of neon lights. "You wanna go there?" Dean asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes!" Alec immediately replied, but then asked, "What is it?"

"Looks like an arcade or maybe laser tag," Dean said. Alec just kind of looked at him and he realized he had to figure out how to explain this to Alec. "Um, an arcade has a ton of games in it and laser tag is this really awesome game where you run around and pretty much play tag…" That was a terrible way to explain it, but he was pretty sure Alec would like it no matter what.

Alec stopped suddenly and said, "Sam, Ben, let's talk for a minute."

Ben rolled his eyes, but Sam said with a small smile, "Ok, what do you want to talk about?"

"This building is probably the coolest building in the world and you two want to go to the library," Alec stated. "So just hear me out for a minute, ok?"

"Alec, we're already listening," Ben pointed out. "Just get on with it."

"Let's forget the library and have some fun instead," Alec said as fast as he could. "We can all four hang out like we did at Bobby's and have fun and be brothers. Besides, there are probably a million libraries _and_ we just got done with the longest, most boring day ever. We need to go out and do something fun before we go crazy."

Sam and Ben looked at each other once Alec was done. Alec looked like he was holding his breath as he waited for their decision. Dean thought it was nice that Alec wanted them to all stick together.

"Ben," Sam finally said. "Maybe Alec's right. We could go to the library another time…"

"Please Ben," Alec begged.

Dean nearly cursed; Alec had a great pair of puppy-dog eyes. Now he had two little brothers who could pull that on him and he wouldn't be able to say no. He hoped Ben didn't have the same powers. He would have some real problems if all three of his brothers could pull the puppy-dog eyes on him any time they wanted.

Ben broke into a slow smile and said, "Alright, let's go play."

"Yes!"

Alec started to take off across the street, but Dean quickly reached out and wrapped his arm around his chest to stop him. "Easy kiddo, cars don't always stop. You gotta look before you take off like that."

"Sorry," Alec said, looking down in shame.

"It's ok," Dean instantly reassured. "Just gotta be a little more careful." Alec nodded so Dean led the way across the street when it was clear.

It was actually laser tag, so Dean paid the guy and got their vests and the guns.

"You guys wanna do teams or a free-for-all?" The guy asked. The place was pretty empty so they could really do whatever they wanted.

"Teams," Alec and Ben said at the same time.

"Yeah, except you two aren't allowed to be on the same team," Dean said. Alec and Ben sent him matching glares, but Dean chuckled. "Hey, me and Sammy don't stand a chance against you two. Ben, you're with me. Alec, you're with Sam."

They were on their third game when his phone started ringing.

"Dean, you can get it, I'll cover you," Ben said. He scanned the room looking for any signs of Sam or Alec. He and Ben had won the last game and Sam and Alec were out for blood this time around.

"Hello?" Dean answered.

"What're you doing? The boys doin' ok? How was their first day?" Dad asked. Dean could tell Dad really wanted to talk about the hunt, but he also wanted to make sure Alec and Ben did ok today.

"Everything's good, we're playin' laser tag right now," Dean said.

"Seriously?" Dad asked. He sounded disappointed, but the boys were actually having fun and they didn't have anything else to do. "Get them back to the motel, and then get your ass out here. There's more than one, so I need your help. Oh and a couple of teenagers snuck in here and they didn't listen when I told them they needed to leave."

"Dad, I'm gonna need a ride out there," Dean said.

"It's not that far outside of town. You should just have Sam take the boys to the motel. He's old enough now to be in charge," Dad said.

"Dad, he's not even 12 yet," Dean pointed out.

"Dean, just get over here," Dad said before he hung up.

"Game over?" Ben asked knowingly.

Dean frowned wondering how Ben knew that, but he nodded, "Yeah…game over."

"You're doing something dangerous, aren't you?" Ben asked. "That's why me, Alec, and Sam can't come with you."

"Ben, I don't want you guys involved in this," Dean said. "It is dangerous and I want you guys to have a chance to be kids."

"Dean, I get it, but there are a few things you need to know," Bed said matter-of-factly. "The first thing is that me and Alec can take care of ourselves and we're pretty good at it. I don't think you know much about Manticore, but if you did then you would understand. The second thing is that if anything happened to you, we'd have a real problem because we really like you. We don't like very many people and we'll do just about anything to protect the ones we do like. That's another thing you don't really know yet, but you will eventually. And the third thing is that Alec's already curious and there's no stopping him once he starts, and if he decides to follow you out there, then I'm going with him."

Dean's heart fluttered in panic; he wanted to keep the boys away from this, but Ben made it sound like it was already a done deal. "Ben, please, you guys can't be part of this."

"I'm just giving you a fair warning," Ben said. "We heard enough earlier to get a good idea of where you're going. The best I can do is delay Alec for a little while, but if the game is over and you leave, then he's going to sneak off and follow you and that means I'm going and so is Sam."

"What if I sneak off right now?" Dean asked.

"That'll give you maybe a 30 minutes head start," Ben said.

"Really?" Dean asked.

"I can keep the game going for a while," Ben said with a shrug. "It won't take them long to figure out where you went, but it will take us some time to find where you are."

Maybe he could get to the hunt and finish it before his brothers found them. "You sure you can cover for me?"

Ben smiled, "I got this."

Dean patted Ben's shoulder and said, "We're gonna be great brothers."

Ben's smile widened, "You better get outta here before they come find us."

"Thanks little brother," Dean said before he quickly snuck out.

* * *

"They're doing really good this time," Alec whispered to Sam.

"I know," Sam replied, watching his back.

Alec loved this game, but it was weird that he hadn't even spotted Dean once yet. Not seeing Ben was understandable, but he should've seen Dean at least once. "Sam…this is weird," Alec said. "We haven't seen them for 15 minutes."

"You're right…something's wrong," Sam said. Sam thought for a moment, but then he looked up with wide eyes and said, "Never mind…I think everything's fine…"

Alec scowled, "Sam, you're not a very good liar. Tell me what's going on."

"I honestly don't know for sure," Sam said. But he was only being half truthful.

"Ben!" Alec shouted as loud as he could. "Ben! Be-"

Sam slapped his hand over his mouth and drug him to the corner. "Would you stop," Sam hissed. "You're gonna freak everyone out."

"Tell me what's going on," Alec demanded.

"I don't know _exactly_ what's going on," Sam said. "But I know that Dean doesn't want us to be a part of it."

"He's at that abandoned house outside of town, isn't he?" Alec asked. Thank God for his heightened senses, otherwise he wouldn't have heard where Dean was going.

"How did you know that?" Sam asked.

"Never mind that for now," Alec replied. "We gotta find Ben, and then we're going after Dean."

"Alec, no," Sam said.

"Sam, yes," Alec argued. Sam glared at him so he decided to back up his argument. "Dean's doing something dangerous. What if something happens to him and we aren't around?"

"Alec, he's gonna be pissed if we go," Sam said.

"I'm going," Alec stated. He turned and shouted again, "Ben!"

"What?" Ben grumbled, suddenly appearing next to him.

"What took you so long?" Alec asked. "I could've been dying."

"You're so dramatic," Ben shot back. "I knew you weren't dying. I could hear your yelling a mile away."

"Where's Dean?" Alec asked.

"I think you already know," Ben said.

"Ok, don't think that I missed the fact that you stalled for him, but we can still catch up," Alec said. He and Ben were going to have words later, but for now they had bigger things to worry about.

"Alec, do you really think this is a good idea?" Ben asked. "Dean really didn't want us to go."

Alec sighed dramatically and asked, "Do I seriously need to go through this again?" Ben and Sam just looked at him so he said, "I'm going even if you guys aren't going with me."

"Alec, you already know I'm going with you," Ben said.

Alec looked over at Sam. He hesitated for a minute, but then said, "Alright, I'm in."

Alec smiled; they were going to find Dean _and_ they were going to find out what this big secret was. This was going to be great.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	13. Chapter 13

_Hey everyone! Thank you all for the reviews! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

"Finally, what took so long?" Dad asked as he ran up to the Impala. "Did the boys give you any trouble?"

"Um, no, the boys should be fine," Dean replied. Dad handed him his shotgun and he grabbed some of the salt rounds from the trunk. He loaded two rounds and asked, "What's goin' on? Where're the two teenagers?"

"They're still inside," Dad said, loading his own shotgun. "I tried to warn 'em, but you know how teenagers are."

"Dad, I _am_ a teenager," Dean said with a smirk.

Dad chuckled, "Yeah, but you're not an idiot. Anyway, it looks like there are two ghosts maybe three. From what I got from the public records, Mom went crazy and killed her husband and her teenage son before she killed herself. Probably all three of them are haunting this house, but their bodies weren't buried in the local cemetery. So, we've gotta find somethin' inside that'll give us a clue where they're buried."

"Sounds easy enough," Dean said. "Have you seen the ghosts yet?"

"No, not yet, but it's gettin' close to dark so we should be seein' 'em soon," Dad said.

"You want me to go in first and try to talk to the teenagers?" Dean asked. "See if I can get them to leave?"

"Yeah, go in there and keep 'em distracted. I'll search the attic, and then move down to see if I can find any information," Dad said.

"I'll keep 'em outta your way," Dean said with a small smile.

"Maybe they'll listen to you," Dad said. "But if they don't, just watch out for the ghosts, alright?" Dean nodded and Dad clapped him on the back. Dad handed him a few extra salt rounds and a canister of salt before he went back to loading his own gun.

Dean stuck the rounds in one pocket and the canister of salt in the other before he made his way to the front door. It was a creepy old house; the floorboards creaked every time he took a step, the house seemed to groan with the light breeze, the windows were all broken, and the door was practically off the hinges. The inside was even worse. It was dusty, there were cobwebs everywhere, and a mouse actually ran by when he walked in.

He walked a little further inside, but stopped when he heard footsteps. Two guys that he actually sort of recognized ran in, but froze when they saw him. They looked like they were about his age, but they looked like the type that wouldn't really have anything to do with him.

He was always the new kid, but he also kind of alienated the kids his own age. What they worried about was just stupid to him. They worried about homework and who liked who, but he worried about his brothers; his twin brothers who had never been to school because they'd been kidnapped and treated like they meant nothing and his little brother who always thought he was a freak and just wanted a normal life. Or his Dad who was risking his life to save others. Yeah, he didn't have much in common with kids his own age.

"Hey, you're that new kid," One of the boys said.

"Um, yeah, Dean," he introduced.

"Matt and this is Brian," Matt replied.

"What're you guys doin' here?" Dean asked casually.

"What are _you_ doing here, Dean," Brian shot back.

Dean shrugged, "I heard this place was haunted so I thought I'd check it out."

Matt and Brian both laughed at him, and Matt said, "This place isn't haunted."

"Then how come you guys are here?" Dean asked. Why would they just hang out at a crappy, abandoned old house?

"We're waiting for some friends," Brian said. "We've got some beer-"

"Dude, is that a gun!?" Matt yelled, suddenly spotting his shotgun.

Dean hid his gun behind his back and quickly denied, "No!"

"What're you doing with a gun?" Brian asked. He could hear some interest in the guy's voice instead of just being freaked out, but it still wasn't good.

"Um, so you remember me saying that I heard this place was haunted?" Dean asked lamely. Why couldn't these guys just leave already?

"There's no such thing as ghosts," Brian said.

"And that doesn't explain why you have a gun," Matt said.

"No, you're right, that doesn't explain it…" Dean muttered.

Luckily, that was when the ghost showed up. But it wasn't the ghost he was expecting. It was the teenager; he appeared in front of them and just stood there. He had a deep gash on his forehead and his eyes were blank.

"Whoa," Brain breathed out, hitting Matt's arm. Matt's eyes widened when he spotted the ghost, and he looked between him and the ghost in confusion.

Dean ignored Matt and Brian, and focused instead on the ghost. He slowly raised his shotgun and waited for the attack. The ghost disappeared though before he could get a shot off.

"We need to get outta here," Dean said, scanning the room for any more threats. These guys needed to leave so he and Dad could get this hunt over with before his brothers got here.

"What? No!" Brian refused. "We just saw a freakin' ghost!"

"Yeah, but ghosts usually aren't that friendly…" Dean said.

Unfortunately, he was proven right a moment later when another ghost appeared, a man this time with the back of his head blown out, and threw Brian off his feet. He crashed into the nightstand, which broke beneath his weight and dropped him to the ground.

Dean swung his gun around and fired at the ghost. It disappeared before their eyes and Matt ran over to check on Brian. Dean kept his guard up though and wait for the next attack.

"Dean!" Dad yelled, running down the stairs.

"I'm alright," Dean called back.

Dad still came down to see for himself, but both of them looked to the door when it was suddenly thrown open.

"Shit…" Dean breathed out when he saw his three little brothers standing in the doorway.

"What the Hell!?" Dad shouted. He glared over at him and asked, "What are they doing here?"

Dean looked from his Dad to his brothers and back again. He didn't know what to say, especially since he'd been hoping they'd be done with this by the time his brothers got there. He had _really_ hoped that Ben could convince Alec not to come out here in the first place, but part of him knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Sam! What're you doing here?" Dad asked when he didn't answer. "And why did you bring the boys?"

"That was a real ghost," Brian suddenly said behind him.

"I didn't bring them," Sam argued.

"We decided we wanted to see what was going on," Alec stated. "And we're not leaving."

"They're already here," Dean said. He didn't like it, but at least this way he could keep them safe. "I can keep an eye on them…"

"We're not done with this conversation," Dad growled. "Sam, get up here and help me look. Ben, Alec, do not leave Dean's side, understood?"

"Yes sir," Ben and Alec said at the same time.

Sam shot him a sad look before he followed Dad upstairs. Ben and Alec walked over to him, and Ben said, "Sorry, I stalled as long as I could." Alec glared at his brother, but then turned his attention to the shotgun he was holding.

"Do you have another gun?" Alec asked.

"No. No more guns," Dean said, still scanning the room for ghosts.

"Why not? That guy said 'that was a real ghost' so if ghosts are real, then I think we should be heavily armed. Although, I'm not sure how a gun will kill a ghost, but I wouldn't mind shooting something right about now," Alec said.

"Alec," Ben warned, elbowing his brother.

"How old are you?" Matt asked, looking at Alec.

"What's it to you?" Alec replied hotly.

"Kids shouldn't be playing with guns," Matt said like it was obvious.

Alec opened his mouth to argue, but Ben hit Alec again and growled, "Drop it."

"I can't drop it. I've been able to handle a gun since I was four. I was the best shot in my unit. I love guns," Alec said. "Don't you have just one extra gun? It doesn't even have to be a shotgun."

Dean groaned; they would really have to move again after this hunt. "Alec, cool it on the guns for a while, ok?" Dean asked.

"Fine," Alec relented.

Dean was still on edge, but he decided the boys needed to be prepared for the next attack. He knew there was going to be another attack, but hopefully this hunt wouldn't turn into a complete disaster. "Ok, quick crash course on ghosts…salt and iron will make them disappear, but you have to salt and burn their bones to get rid of them completely. Questions?"

"What kind of shells are in your shotgun?" Alec asked innocently.

"Alec," Dean sighed. "Focus, ok? Do you have any questions concerning ghosts?"

"What's the plan on finding the bones?" Ben asked.

"Seriously, how old are you two?" Brian asked.

"Dad and Sam are working on finding the bones," Dean said, ignoring Brian. "We just need to keep the ghosts off until they find something."

"Ok, so we need salt and iron, right?" Alec asked.

Dean pulled the canister of salt out of his pocket and handed it to Ben. "If you see a ghost, throw some salt at it."

"Ok," Ben replied.

Dean took a deep breath, "You guys are taking this a lot better than I thought you would."

"Dean, c'mon, we're nine. Of course monsters are real," Alec joked.

"And we've seen some real monsters already," Ben said.

Ben and Alec shared a look, and then Alec said, "Yeah, Manticore had some pretty scary experiments. They kept them in the basement and used them as punishment."

Dean wasn't sure how to reply, but he nodded and decided to put this on the backburner. "Ok, well, we can talk about this more later too, ok?"

"John's pretty mad, right?" Alec asked.

"Um, yeah, but he's not mad at you two," Dean reassured.

"Don't worry, I'll totally take the fall," Alec said. "I convinced Ben and Sam to come with me. So, this one's all on me."

Dean shook his head, but then the third ghost appeared. Dean reacted faster this time and brought his gun up and fired before the ghost could do any damage.

"Whoa!" Alec exclaimed. "That was awesome!"

Dean had to fire again as the ghost man appeared behind Alec. He needed help; three against one just spelled trouble. His brothers were bound to get hurt and he couldn't let that happen. They'd been through too much already and he wasn't about to add to it.

"Ben, run upstairs and get Sam," Dean said as he reloaded.

"Hey!" Alec said angrily. "We've got your back, Dean." His little brother was glaring at him, but he could see a little bit of hurt behind his defiance. Alec was hurt that he wanted more backup even though he was just trying to keep them safe.

"Yeah, you told us the basics, so we know how to help," Ben said quietly. Ben looked up at him and silently pleaded that he let them help.

"I just don't want you two to get hurt," Dean said. It sounded lame considering the little bit he knew about Manticore. His brothers weren't strangers to pain, but they were only nine years old. He wanted to protect them.

Before Alec or Ben could try to convince him more, the teenager ghost appeared and Ben reacted faster than he did, a lot faster. Dean could've sworn Ben actually blurred he moved so fast. He blinked a few times, but Ben was looking up at him with a small smile, "See, we've got your back."

"Except, I still don't have a weapon," Alec grumbled.

Dean rolled his eyes, but then silently agreed that Alec should have a weapon when all three ghosts appeared at the same time. The woman threw Matt and Brian off their feet and the man threw him off his. He hit the wall hard, and then crumbled to the ground. His vision was swimming, but he managed to stay conscious. He needed to stay conscious and stay in this fight.

But that was easier said than done. He tried to get his brain to connect with his hands, but he was moving too slowly to bring the shotgun around. But then Alec suddenly appeared beside him and grabbed the shotgun. Alec turned and fired in one fluid motion. The salt round went through the man and he disappeared.

"Ben!" Alec yelled to get his brother's attention. Ben looked over and Alec tossed the gun to him. Ben shot the woman before he tossed the gun back to Alec. "Dean, pass over some more shells, I gotta reload."

Dean slowly gave Alec some more salt rounds, and then pushed himself back up. Alec expertly reloaded, and then fired at the teenager.

"You weren't kidding," Dean said, impressed.

"I really like guns," Alec stated.

Alec started to hand the shotgun over, but Dean said, "No, I think you should keep that for a little bit…"

"Ok!" Alec said with a wide smile.

"Dean," Sam said, running down the stairs. "You ok?"

"Yeah, we're all good," Dean replied. "You find where they're buried?" Dad ran down the stairs too though, and that was answer enough.

"We're goin' outside," Dad said. He kept walking and didn't wait for any of them to follow.

"What do we do?" Matt asked.

"Um, you guys should leave," Dean said. He'd actually forgotten about Matt and Brian even being there. His focus was on his brothers now, and nothing was going to change that.

"But the ghosts?" Brian asked.

"It only gets worse," Sam said. "For some reason they don't really like it when you try to kill them for the second time."

"Seriously, you guys are all like little kids," Matt muttered.

"I'm nine, thank you very much," Alec stated. "And I'm a lot better shot than you'll ever be."

"Anyway, you guys should really go…and I wouldn't ever tell anyone what happened here," Dean said.

"Yeah, they'll think you're insane," Sam added on before he turned to him, "We should really catch up with Dad. He's super pissed…and Ben and Alec should probably wait in the car."

"Nope," Alec refused.

"No way," Ben said at the same time.

"Sam, even if we do try to trap them in the car, they'd find a way to break out," Dean said. "And I don't want anything happening to my baby."

"Fine," Sam said.

He stomped over to the door, and Ben and Alec ran after him.

"So, this is a regular thing for you?" Brian asked.

"Yeah…and I'm serious, you guys shouldn't tell anyone. They wouldn't believe you even if you did," Dean warned.

Dean started for the door, but then Matt asked, "Are you going to school tomorrow?"

"I doubt it…" Dean replied.

He went outside and ran to catch up with his brothers. Dad was walking pretty far ahead of them carrying three shovels, but he didn't slow down.

"Dean, I think I should have the extra shotgun shells," Alec said. "I'd rather cover you guys instead of digging."

"We'll see," Dean said.

Dad finally stopped at a little cove of trees and dropped two of the shovels on the ground. Dad immediately started digging and Dean looked over at Sam to see which of them was going to dig.

"Dean, you should let me and Ben cover you," Alec whispered. "We're pretty awesome by ourselves, but nothin' is getting by us if we're working together."

"And if we need help, we promise that we'll tell you," Ben added on.

"Alec, next time, ok kiddo?" Dean asked. Alec's face fell, but Dean quickly said, "Only because this is the first time and we're already in trouble."

Alec thought about it, but then nodded in agreement. Sam grabbed a shovel without even arguing about it, and so did Ben. Dean grabbed Dad's shotgun since Alec looked like he wasn't going to give his up, and stood next to Alec.

"Ben, you can dig with me since this is your first grave," Sam said.

"And we can switch if you guys get tired," Dean said.

"Ok," Ben said. He and Sam started on the second grave while Dad was already pretty far into the first one.

Dad finished the first grave, and had started on the third when the ghosts appeared. Alec fired twice by the time he got one shot off. Alec held out his hand for more salt rounds and Dean passed them over without question. Dean shot another ghost while Alec reloaded.

Dean's heart hurt again for his brothers. Alec should not be this good at handling a shotgun and Sam should not be teaching Ben on how to dig his first grave. He loved hunting, but he wished he could protect his brothers from this life.

Alec shot a ghost that was getting too close to Sam and Ben, and suddenly Dean was grateful that Alec was really good with guns.

He was just starting to think this hunt would be one of their better ones, but then the woman appeared in front of him and threw him off his feet. He hit one of the trees, and he knew he wasn't getting up again for a while. Ben looked over at Alec like he knew Alec needed him. Alec tossed his brother his shotgun and immediately ran over to him. Ben climbed out of the grave and covered Sam and Dad while they continued digging.

Alec grabbed his shotgun and fired at another ghost. Once the ghost was gone, Alec turned back to him and searched his pockets until he found the salt rounds. He stood up again, but stayed in front of him as he reloaded.

"Alec," Ben said after shooting two times.

Alec tossed him two rounds and said, "Those are the last ones…" Ben nodded in understanding, but continued to keep watch. Dean groaned as he tried to push himself up, but Alec said, "Dean, don't move yet, we've got this."

Dean wanted to argue with his little brother, get up, and protect them, but he found that he didn't need to. He watched in amazement as Ben and Alec took on the ghosts by themselves. They ran out of salt rounds, but that didn't stop them. Ben still had the canister of salt and they tossed it back and forth to get rid of the ghosts. They managed to cover him, Sam, and Dad until all the graves were dug up and Sam and Dad were salting and burning them.

Sam ran over to him as soon as the ghosts were gone for real and asked, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Dean muttered. He watched as Alec threw his arm over Ben's shoulders and Ben smiled and hit Alec's chest. "Did you see that?" Dean asked Sam.

Sam nodded and said with a wide smile, "Our little brothers are awesome!"

"Dean, you ok?" Alec asked as he and Ben walked up.

"Yeah, trees hurt though," Dean said. He started to push himself up again, but this time Sam was there to help him. His side was killing him and he knew he was going to be sore for a while, but he was still in shock from watching Alec and Ben take on three ghosts on their first hunt.

"Boys, grab the gear and let's go," Dad said. He didn't sound as mad as he did earlier, but Dean knew the yelling would come soon enough.

They did grab the gear though and started for the car. Dean was moving slower than he usually did, but his brothers hung back with him. Alec was talking Ben's ear off again, but Ben was still laughing and agreeing with what Alec said.

"You sure you're ok?" Sam asked him.

"I'm gonna be sore for a few days, but nothing's broken," Dean replied.

"How mad do you think Dad is?" Sam asked.

"He's probably still pretty mad, but it'll go away soon," Dean said. "But it's gonna be a long night…"

Dad was silent as they all got in the car. And he was silent the entire drive. Alec fidgeted in the backseat, but any time Alec started to say something Ben would elbow him to keep him quiet. Dean was actually relieved when they pulled into the motel parking lot. He knew the yelling was about to begin, but at least the silence was going to be over.

Dean forced himself to get up and slowly followed his brothers inside. Dad was silent for another minute before the yelling began.

"What the Hell were you thinking!?" Dad shouted. "They should've never been near that place!"

"Dad-" Dean started.

"I thought you didn't even want them to hunt!" Dad yelled over him.

"It's not Dean's fault!" Alec suddenly cut in. He glared at Dad and crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

Dad stopped and looked over at Alec in surprise. Ben spoke up before Dad could keep going though, "Alec didn't mean to yell, sir, we're sorry."

"No we're not!" Alec said, moving his glare to his brother. "And Dean didn't even know we were coming. I convinced Ben and Sam to come with me. I was curious."

"Alec," Ben warned.

"Alec, you boys could've gotten hurt," Dad said. "You had no idea what you were getting yourselves into. Dean, show them your side."

"Dad…" Dean protested. Dad raised his eyebrows so he sighed and lifted his shirt to show the bruises that had already appeared.

"Dean's been on a lot of hunts, but he still got hurt," Dad said.

"But we didn't get hurt," Alec argued. "We're trained professionals and that was fun."

"Besides, wasn't this your plan the whole time?" Sam asked, not even bothering to hide how he really felt.

"Sam," Dad growled.

"No! This was your plan!" Sam yelled. "You're just acting mad right now to make Dean happy. But you knew how curious Alec was and you knew he'd figure out a way to get out to the hunt. You knew and you wanted them to go out there!"

"Sam, that's enough!" Dad shouted.

"You knew they'd be great at hunting, but you wanted to see just how good they were," Sam accused. "You saw them at Manticore so you knew!"

Dean braced himself for Dad yelling back, but it never happened. Instead, Dad walked out, slamming the door behind him.

The four of them stood in silence for a few minutes until Ben asked, "Do you think that's true? Did he give us all those clues on purpose?"

"Yes," Sam said at the same time that he said, "I don't think so."

"Who cares?" Alec said. "We were going to find out sooner or later, and that was seriously awesome!"

"Alec, it's not always awesome," Dean said. "Hunting is actually pretty dangerous. I've been to the hospital more times than I can count and so has Sammy."

"What would've happened to those two teenagers if we hadn't been there?" Alec asked.

Dean frowned and lied, "They probably would've gotten scared and taken off."

"Dean, you know that's not what was going to happen," Sam said.

Dean sighed, "Ok, they probably would've died or gotten seriously hurt if we hadn't shown up."

"So we saved them," Alec said just to clarify. Dean nodded and Alec said, "Hunting might be dangerous, but we did something good."

Dean smiled a little and reached out to ruffle Alec's short hair, "Yeah, we did do something good." Dean walked over to the closest bed and slowly sat down. He was really starting to hurt, and he was thinking about getting some ice. But he wanted Alec to understand that he could really get hurt hunting. "But I don't think you realize that this was actually a really easy hunt compared to most. The fact that none of us are bleeding is unbelievable."

"And I don't think _you_ realize how many times Ben and I have been bleeding," Alec pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest, but this time it wasn't in defiance. Dean saw a flicker of pain on Alec's face before he hid it again. Alec meant his comment as just something that didn't mean much, but what he said reminded him of something that hurt. He crossed his arms over his chest to protect himself and to hold himself together.

Ben must've known Alec was hurting because he put his hand on his brother's arm and took over. "But you also don't realize that we've done more bad than good in our lives. It'd be nice to do something good and save people."

"Sometimes you can't save everyone," Dean warned. "And that hurts more than anything physical."

"But you have to admit, we did help…right?" Alec asked to make sure.

"Yeah kiddo, you two saved us and those two guys are safe too," Dean reassured.

"But you still don't want us to hunt," Alec pointed out.

" _Eventually_. I wanted you two to hunt eventually," Dean said. "I wanted you to be kids first."

"Dean, we've never been kids," Ben said. "And I don't think we can go back."

Dean took a deep breath and nodded. He knew it was too late for himself, but he still had hope for his three little brothers. But he had no idea what Ben and Alec had been through. They wanted to help people though, and he understood that; it was the main reason he liked hunting.

He looked over at Sam, who was actually giving him a small smile. Sam shrugged and said, "They were pretty awesome at hunting."

Dean scooted back and leaned against the headboard. He patted the bed and said, "Alright boys, you ready to learn a thing or two about hunting?"

"Yes!" Alec and Ben said at the same time, running over to him.

"Sammy, where're you goin'?" Dean asked when Sam walked towards the door.

"I'll be right back," Sam said. "You can go ahead and start. I've heard it before, and I can catch up."

Dean shrugged and said, "Well, you guys already got an intro into ghosts so I guess we can keep going with that…"

"What else is out there?" Alec asked.

Dean chuckled, but stopped when Sam came back in carrying a bag of ice. "Seriously Sam?"

"I can tell Dean," Sam stated. "I know you're hurting."

"It'll go away," Dean said.

"Yeah, because you're going to put ice on your side to numb it," Sam said.

"No, I think we're gonna chat about hunting instead," Dean argued.

Alec and Sam shared a look, and Dean frowned; he didn't like that look…

"Dean, I'm not gonna take anymore pills if you don't ice your side," Alec said simply.

"What?!" Dean and Ben asked at the same time.

"Bring on the seizures, 'cause I'm done takin' pills," Alec said.

"Alec, you're going to keep taking pills even if I have to shove them down your throat," Ben threatened.

"And I'll hold you down to help," Dean said. Alec was never going to have another seizure as long as he could help it.

"Just use the ice," Sam said with a sigh. "He'll keep taking the pills as long as you take care of yourself too."

"Give me the ice," Dean growled. Sam smiled and passed it over, but he just glared at Alec and Sam. "This is not gonna be a regular thing, got it? You can't blackmail me into doing things by refusing to take your pills."

"Alec, I agree with Dean," Ben said. "You can't do that again."

"Whatever," Alec said, rolling his eyes. "Can we get back to hunting now?"

He was definitely going to come back to this argument, but for now he would humor his little brother. "Fine," Dean said. "So what do you wanna learn about first; werewolves, vampires, ghosts-"

"Werewolves!" Alec and Ben said at the same time.

He and Sam both chuckled and Sam sat down next to Ben. "Ok, so werewolves are pretty cool, and there's actually an easy way to kill them."

"What is it?" Ben asked.

"Silver bullets," Dean said with a smile.

"Can we hunt a werewolf next?" Alec asked.

"Alec, you only know one thing about killing werewolves," Dean replied easily.

"You told us how to kill one, what more do we need?" Alec asked.

Dean laughed and pushed Alec over. "You need a lot more than that!"

"Yeah, that's barely anything," Sam threw in.

"And you can't use that line anymore either," Dean said.

"Which one?" Alec and Ben asked at the same time.

"The one where you tell me that you know how to kill one and that's all you need. Or that you know the basics and now you can help," Dean said. "You need a lot more than just the basics."

"Fine," Alec said, rolling his eyes. He settled in again and said, "At least this learning will be a lot better than school." Ben chuckled and nodded his agreement.

"Ok, so back to werewolves," Dean said.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	14. Chapter 14

_So sorry for the long wait, but here is the next chapter. It picks up right where the last chapter left off with Dean teaching the boys about hunting. Hope you all like it!_

* * *

"Ok, so back to werewolves," Dean said. Alec and Ben actually settled down to listen to his big brother.

Sam wasn't the biggest fan of hunting; he wanted to be normal and go to school, and he hated to see his brother hurt. Dean was the best big brother, and he wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to him. But Dean really liked hunting and he couldn't ignore how awesome Ben and Alec were at it. Not only that, but they seemed to really want to hunt.

"Werewolves are actually humans that turn into wolves, but they only turn into wolves during a full moon. Any other time they're just regular humans," Dean said. "But when they're werewolves, they eat human hearts."

"How does a human become a werewolf?" Ben asked.

"They get bitten by one," Dean said. "But silver to the heart kills 'em. The tricky part is actually getting close enough to kill one without them getting to you first. They're extremely fast, super strong, and have enhanced senses."

Alec looked over at Ben and said, "Sounds kinda like us."

"Yeah, but I'm guessing they have claws and we don't," Ben said.

Alec laughed at something he thought was funny before he said, "They're like us except they're canines and we're felines."

Ben rolled his eyes and pushed his brother over. Sam was confused though; he had no idea what Alec and Ben were talking about or what Alec found so funny. He looked to Dean who only looked somewhat confused, but then his confusion cleared and he looked back and forth between Alec and Ben.

"Exactly how fast can you guys go?" Dean asked.

"Really super fast!" Alec said excitedly.

"Show me," Dean said.

Alec hopped up, and Sam's eyes widened when Alec moved so fast that he blurred. Sam lost him and suddenly he was by the door. He blurred again, and then he was back on the bed.

"Whoa," Sam breathed out.

"Show off," Ben whispered to Alec.

"So, I'm not crazy," Dean said. "I thought you moved faster than I could see during the hunt, but it didn't seem possible."

"How is that possible?" Sam asked.

"It's because we have cat DND," Ben said. "That's why Alec thinks he's so funny, because we're cats and they're dogs."

"C'mon Ben, it's funny," Alec said.

"It's only funny if they know we're part cat," Ben said.

"Well, now when we hunt a werewolf, it'll be really funny," Alec said. Ben just looked back at him so Alec smiled and said, "We'll be fighting like cats and dogs."

Ben huffed and shook his head at his brother while Dean chuckled and ruffled Alec's hair.

Sam broke into his own slow smile, but then stopped and asked, "Wait, how is that possible? How do you have cat DNA?"

Alec shrugged, "I don't know. We were told that we were made in a test tube, so I just assumed they mixed us up with it already in there. They mentioned a few times what all we had in us during exams, but the main thing was cat…" Alec's voice had hitched on the word exam, but Ben quickly jumped in before anyone could say anything.

"Yeah," Ben agreed. "But they would've had to get Dean's DNA somehow. There's no way it's just a coincidence that we look so much alike."

Dean shook his head though and said, "No, I remember Mom being pregnant with you guys. She told me this time was different than with Sammy because she was having twins. I asked her what that meant, and she said that she was going to have two babies instead of one."

Sam didn't remember that, but he'd only been two at the time. But it still didn't make sense that Alec and Ben could have all these unbelievable abilities and still be their biological brothers. Alec must've been thinking along the same lines as him because he asked, "Then how come we can do all these extra things?"

"I don't know…" Dean replied honestly. "We can talk about it with Dad if you want."

"No," Alec said.

"Alec, maybe we should," Ben suggested. "We should at least try to figure this out."

Alec thought about it for a minute, but then shook his head no. "I don't wanna know yet…"

"Alec-" Ben protested, but Alec cut him off.

"What if…" he stopped and looked at him and Dean nervously. "What if we aren't actually John's kids and your brothers?" He stood up, ran his hand through his short hair, and then rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture that he recognized from Dean. "I don't wanna leave," Alec admitted.

"Alec, c'mere," Dean said, patted the spot where Alec had been seconds before. Alec shook his head though and took a step back. Dean started to sit up, but he winced and just scooted back on the bed instead. "Alec, we're brothers no matter what, ok kiddo?"

"And we don't want you guys to leave," Sam said. "You're our little brothers and we want you to stay."

"C'mon," Dean said, motioning for Alec to sit down again. Alec slowly walked forward until he was sitting between him and Dean.

"But what if we really were made in a test tube?" Ben asked quietly. Sam swiveled around to look at him; he looked just as scared as Alec did and he had a death grip on the edge of Dean's shirt. They were both worried that they wouldn't be allowed to stay if they weren't really their bothers.

"Ok, both of you listen up," Dean said seriously. "I don't care if you were made in a test tube or if you really are our biological brothers. It doesn't change anything. You two aren't going anywhere because we're a family, ok? So no more thinking that we're gonna kick you out, got it?" Alec and Ben both nodded, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. "Do you guys wanna talk about hunting again?" Dean asked to break the silence. Alec and Ben nodded again. Dean gave them a small smile and asked, "How do you kill a werewolf?"

"Silver to the heart," Alec and Ben said at the same time. They sounded more put together now and Ben loosened his grip from the edge of Dean's shirt.

"Good," Dean said with a proud smile. Alec cracked a small smile and ducked his head at the praise and Ben let out a breath of relief at getting the question right.

"And how and when do they turn," Sam asked. He actually liked this part of hunting. He loved research and hopefully this would help get Alec and Ben back to normal.

"You have to get bit by one to turn into one," Ben said quickly.

"And they turn when it's a full moon," Alec finished.

"Yes!" Sam said.

"We passed?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, you guys passed," Dean said.

"Great! Now, where can we find one?" Alec asked, getting up again. He grabbed some of Dean's clothes that were on the other bed and started for their duffle. "We should call John so he can drive, but I really think we should get moving. We can track patterns from last month of any deaths where people were missing their hearts, and then go from there."

Sam recognized this as something Dean did too. When Dean was feeling vulnerable, he threw himself into hunting. He wanted something to do to keep himself distracted. Alec needed a distraction…Sam got up and headed for where Dad had dropped his duffle.

"Alec, slow down," Dean said. "We're not gonna hunt a werewolf for a long time."

He found Dad's duffle and searched the contents, but he didn't find what he was looking for. He got up again and looked for Dean's instead.

"Why not?" Alec asked.

"Well, we just got done with a hunt for one, and two, because you guys still have a lot to learn," Dean said. Alec sighed and walked back over to the bed. "Sam, what're you lookin' for?" Dean asked once he started digging through his duffle.

"The spare keys to the Impala," Sam replied, refusing to stop his search.

"Why?" Dean asked. He sounded like he didn't want to give up his set of the keys, but Sam didn't want to tell him why he wanted them. "You goin' for a joyride?" Dean asked sarcastically when he didn't answer.

Sam glared at his brother and kept digging through his clothes until he found the keys. "I'll be right back," he said.

"Sam!" Dean called after him, but he was already out the door.

He looked around the small parking lot to make sure no one was paying attention before he went over to the trunk of the Impala. He was glad that Dad hadn't taken the Impala when he left since he needed some things out of the trunk. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the coast was still clear when his eyes landed on a bar a little ways down the road. He would bet laundry duty for a month that Dad was there right now.

Sam shook his head and focused again on what he was doing. He grabbed the empty duffle sitting on the bottom of the trunk, and then lifted the cover to reveal their weapons. He grabbed as many guns as he could and a few rags before he put them in the duffle, closed the trunk, and headed back to the room. He put the keys back in Dean's bag, and then walked back to the bed and set the duffle down in between Alec and Ben.

"What's in the bag?" Alec immediately asked.

"I thought we could clean the guns while we talked about hunting," Sam said. He glanced over at Dean to make sure that was ok, but Dean was already giving him a small, proud smile. He loved that look and it always made him feel good when Dean gave it to him.

"Really?" Alec asked hopefully.

Sam nodded and unzipped the duffle to reveal the guns. Alec reached out and carefully grabbed the first gun he saw. Ben followed his brother's lead and grabbed another gun out of the bag. They both set to work, skillfully taking the guns apart and carefully cleaning each piece.

"What d'you guys wanna learn about next?" Dean asked. He sounded tired and Sam could see him clench his jaw against the pain in his side.

"You can sleep, Dean," Alec said without taking his eyes off his gun. "We can learn more about hunting tomorrow."

"I'm alright," Dean argued.

"So far, it looks like we're still going to school in the morning," Sam said. "You should get some sleep."

"Sam, we're not going to school tomorrow," Dean stated. "Those guys think we're insane and they probably didn't take our advice about keeping this to themselves. We're leaving as soon as Dad comes back."

"Dean, Dad won't be back for a while…" Sam muttered.

"It doesn't matter," Dean said. "I'm not tired and I wanna keep teaching them about hunting."

"Dean," Sam said, giving his brother a pointed look.

"Dean, do you want to hear about the Blue Lady?" Ben asked quietly. His eyes were still on the gun he was cleaning, but Sam could tell this was important to him. Ben had mentioned the Blue Lady to him when Alec was in the hospital, but he'd forgotten about it until now.

"Um, yeah, sure," Dean replied easily.

"Well, the Blue Lady brought me to Alec and she protected us as we escaped," Ben said. "She led John to us in the woods and he brought us back here. And now we have a family." Sam looked over at Alec and saw him roll his eyes, but he didn't say anything. "If it wasn't for the Blue Lady, we would've never made it out of Manticore."

Dean nodded, but Sam could tell he didn't know how to respond. He didn't really know either; it seemed like Ben really believed in the Blue Lady and he might actually think she was responsible for them escaping. He didn't know if the Blue Lady was real or not, but he didn't want to say anything against Ben's beliefs. Maybe she was real and he just didn't know it.

Alec suddenly scooted over on the bed and leaned against Dean as he cleaned his gun. "I don't know about all that, but it is nice to have a family," Alec stated.

"Yeah, it is nice…" Dean mumbled sleepily.

"Do we really have to go to school again tomorrow?" Alec asked.

"We'll see kiddo…" Dean whispered. He was asleep a moment later.

* * *

"Dean," Alec hissed. Dean frowned and tried to turn away, but Alec gently shook his shoulder and said again, "Dean…wake up…"

"What?" Dean growled.

"We gotta go to school. Sam told me to wake you up," Alec said.

Dean pressed his face against his pillow and mumbled, "We're not goin' to school…"

"Sam said we were," Alec said. "He said since John wasn't back yet, that we still had to go. And none of us can drive…"

"We're not goin' to school," Dean repeated.

"Yes we are," Sam argued from across the room. "We've only been there one day. It'll look suspicious if we miss the second day."

Dean sighed, but slowly pushed himself up. His side was killing him, but Sam was right, it would look suspicious if they didn't show up on the second day. "Did you say Dad's not back yet?" Dean asked, slow at catching up.

"Dad never came back, but he'll probably be back by the time school's over," Sam said, packing their backpacks.

"I don't think we all have to go," Alec said. "We just need you to drive us, and then just pick us up afterwards."

"It's alright…I'm fine," Dean said. "You guys just get ready and I'll drive ya…" Alec didn't look so sure, but he finally nodded and started to get ready. Ben came up to him a few minutes later holding a glass of water and a couple pills. "Thanks buddy," Dean said, taking the pills from him. Ben smiled at him before he went back to getting ready.

"Dean, you really don't have to go," Sam said. "We can make something up…I just didn't think all of us should skip…"

"No, I'll go. I'm gonna make sure those two guys didn't say anything," Dean said.

"How bad does your side hurt?" Sam asked.

"Nothin's broken, I'm just sore," Dean reassured.

"Did the ice help?"

"Yeah, the ice helped," Dean said with a small smile.

"Dean, can I sit up front?" Alec asked, running over to him with his backpack on.

Dean slowly got up and nodded, "Yeah, you can sit up front."

"Yes!" Alec said as he ran back to Ben.

Dean made his way over to the bathroom and went as fast as he could to get ready to go. He was still pretty sore, but maybe moving around would help. He still didn't want to go to school, but he needed to be there to look out for his brothers.

"Dean, we're gonna be late again," Sam called out from the other room.

He really hated school…

His day didn't get much better when they got to school. They were late again, and when he walked into class everyone stared at him again. He ignored them, and he ignored the teacher's disapproving glare, and went to his seat. Matt and Brian tried to catch his eye as he walked past them, but he ignored them too.

But he couldn't ignore them forever. He was just sitting down to eat his lunch by himself when they walked over and sat down with him.

"I thought you said you weren't coming to school today," Matt said.

"It wasn't up to me…" Dean muttered, keeping his eyes on his food.

"Your Dad made you go to school?" Brian asked in surprise. "After what happened last night?"

"It wasn't my Dad. It was my brothers…they needed a ride," Dean muttered. "And last night didn't happen."

"Did you get rid of the ghosts?" Matt asked, obviously ignoring what he'd said.

Dean closed his eyes; he just wanted to eat lunch by himself and not talk about what had happened last night, but maybe if he just summed everything up they would leave him alone. "Yeah, we got rid of the ghosts. So, it never happened, ok?"

"Why don't you want people to know about what you do? You killed ghosts last night. You're like a Ghostbuster," Matt said.

"Keep your voice down, would ya?" Dean growled, looking around to make sure no one heard them.

"That was awesome though," Brian argued.

"What do I have to say to get you guys to leave me alone?" Dean asked.

"You really don't want anyone to know…" Matt said with a frown.

Dean sighed, "No, I don't want anyone to know. It's safer for my family if no one knows what we're doing."

"Alright, we won't say anything," Brian said.

"But you gotta tell us what all happened," Matt said.

So, he told them, still hoping that they'd go away after that, but as it turned out Matt and Brian decided they were friends. And, what was even worse, Matt and Brian were actually popular in this school, which meant that he had suddenly become interesting.

It seemed like he couldn't escape them, so he was secretly glad when he got called into the Principal's office. He was no stranger to principal's offices, but he couldn't remember doing anything wrong except for being late the past couple days.

It became a lot clearer once he got to the office and saw Alec and Ben sitting there, along with eight other boys who were bloody and bruised. Alec had his arms crossed and was glaring at the opposite wall while Ben was looking down at the floor guiltily, but neither of them would look at him.

"Dean, they're waiting for you in the office," the secretary said. "I tried to reach your Dad, but I didn't get an answer…"

Dean clenched his jaw and slowly walked into the office. Principal Cunningham was sitting behind the desk and the parents of the eight other boys were in there as well.

"There he is," Principle Cunningham said with a smile. "Dean, please, have a seat. We were just going over what had happened. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach your father, but your brothers said that you drove them to school today."

The other parents seemed to be glaring at him, but maybe he was imagining things. He took a seat and waited for the explanation.

"It seems that Nate said something that upset Alec," Principal Cunningham said. "None of the boys are coming forward with what was actually said, but Alec reacted and punched Nate. Things got out of hand and some of the other boys came to Nate's defense which led to Ben's involvement. All in all, I think it was just a simple misunderstanding."

"You can't be serious," One of the ladies spat. "Robbie has a broken nose!"

"Those two are dangerous! They need to be suspended!" Someone else yelled.

"Our children are obviously not safe with them around."

Dean scowled and said, "It was Nate who started it. Sounds like he got exactly what he deserved."

"Nate has two broken fingers because of them!"

"And they don't have a scratch on them!"

"Where's their father? Obviously there is something wrong with their upbringing!"

"Now, now, let's all just calm down," Principal Cunningham tried to placate. "Dean, please, sit back down." He looked around and realized that he'd gotten to his feet without even realizing it. He sat back down and Cunningham continued, "Obviously, we can't condone fighting at school. Alec and Ben will be suspended for five days and the other boys will be suspended for three." The parents all started arguing again, and he wanted to fight for a shorter sentence for his brothers, but he also wanted to get his brothers and go. "Dean," Cunningham said over the arguing. "If you don't mind taking your brothers home…I think it would be best."

Dean nodded and said, "I need to get Sam too…"

"I'll have him pulled from class," Cunningham said in agreement. "You and your brothers can wait for him out front."

Dean got up and went back to the waiting area. Alec and Ben looked up at the same time and he nodded for them to follow him.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" Dean asked once they were away from everyone else.

"I started a fight and drug Ben into it…" Alec said with his eyes down.

Alec didn't want to tell him what the other boy said. "Alec, the principal told me what happened…" Dean said.

"Nate found Alec's pills," Ben said. "He called us some names that we didn't know what they meant, but then he threatened to throw them out."

Dean crouched down in front of both of them and asked seriously, "Did he throw them out, or do you still have them?"

"I still have them," Alec whispered.

"Alec hit Nate to get the pills back, but then the other boys joined in. Unfortunately for them, me and Alec are really good at fighting," Ben said.

"Where're your backpacks?" Dean asked.

"Still in the classroom," Ben said.

"C'mon, we've gotta get those before we go," Dean said. He led the way back inside and down to Alec and Ben's classroom. Their teacher did not look happy to see him, but he just walked in and grabbed both of their backpacks. They didn't have a lot of money, so they needed everything they had.

"Dean, I'm sorry," Alec said as they walked back outside. "I messed things up, didn't I?"

"No, you did the right thing," Dean said. "You need your pills and we don't have the money to buy replacement pills. But we gotta talk about the two of you fighting eight boys and not getting a scratch on you," Dean said.

Alec and Ben shared a look, and then Ben said, "But we're good at fighting."

"Yeah, but it looks weird to the grown-ups that you guys could break other kids' bones and still be fine," Dean said.

"Are you going to tell John what happened?" Alec asked, looking up at him. Alec had taken the blame for the fight earlier, but he was secretly worried about getting in trouble.

Dean took a deep breath and shook his head no, "I'm not going to tell."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, walking over to them.

"We've gotta go," Dean said. "I'm sorry, Sam."

Sam's shoulders slumped and he asked, "Dad found another hunt?"

"No…I…um, I got into a fight and they kicked me out," Dean said.

Sam sighed, but nodded in understanding. Sam and Ben headed for the Impala, but Alec hung back with him and gave him a grateful smile.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	15. Chapter 15

_"The boys look good," Dr. Hamilton said._

 _Mary breathed out in relief as she cleaned off her stomach. "I know I should've expected the twins to be more difficult, but they are a lot more difficult than Sam or Dean were."_

 _"Do you have names for your boys yet?" She asked with a small smile._

 _"We've decided to name my sweet one after John's middle name, Eric. And my little spitfire's name is going to be Hayden," Mary said._

 _"Good names," She said. "How do the other two feel about them?"_

 _"Excited. Dean sort of understands and he's been trying to tell Sam, but I don't think he gets it. He's only two though, so Dean just tells him that he's getting more little brothers," Mary said. "Dean just doesn't get how I'm going to have two this time."_

 _She smiled, "It's hard for them to imagine that what's in your belly could be two little brothers."_

 _"I just can't wait for them to come out," Mary said. "I feel huge…"_

 _"Where's John today?"_

 _"He had to work. Sam and Dean are sitting in the waiting room," Mary said. "I told them if they were good I'd get them some ice cream."_

 _Dr. Hamilton chuckled, and then asked, "You ready for the shots?"_

 _Mary sighed, "This is another thing I didn't expect…with Sam and Dean I barely had any shots, but with these two it's crazy."_

 _"Twins are difficult. We have to make sure both boys are getting the nutrition that they need and that both of them are healthy," Hamilton replied._

 _"I'm not arguing. I'm just not a big fan of shots," Mary said with a smile._

* * *

Alec lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. It'd been two days since they'd been suspended, but if he thought school was bad then he had another thing coming. Sam and Ben weren't very happy about it either, but they both liked going to school and reading.

He wasn't used to doing nothing for so long. He had way too much energy; his muscles almost hurt he had so much energy. He hadn't slept for two days because of it either. He needed something to do, but he knew his brothers would freak out if they woke up and he wasn't there. But he could do some pushups or something. He would still be in the motel, but maybe he could get rid of some energy.

Making up his mind, he slowly got out of bed and found a good spot on the floor. He was on his second set of 20 when he heard a whimper from the sofa. John was sleeping on the sofa…John had been back by the time they got to the motel. Alec had been worried that they would be in trouble for getting suspended from school. John was mad when Dean told him what happened, but it turned out he wasn't mad at him for starting the fight, he was mad at the school and the kid who had stolen his pills. He'd yelled at the principal over the phone for a good 30 minutes before he'd hung up and come back over to him and Ben. He checked them over and made sure he had his pills before he'd gotten them some food.

Alec got up from the floor and slowly walked over to the sofa. "John…" Alec asked cautiously, gently poking the older man's shoulder. John was having a bad dream; Dean would probably be better at waking him up, but Dean was asleep right now. "John…" Alec said again.

John tensed suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he threw a punch. Alec didn't react in time and took the punch to his left eye. He staggered back and fell on his butt as John rolled off the sofa and landed hard on the floor.

John groaned and slowly pushed himself up. He sat up and leaned against the sofa as he tried to reorient himself. He looked confused and he frowned when his eyes landed on him.

"Alec?" John asked. "What're you doin'?"

"Um…nothing," Alec replied quietly. His eye hurt, but it was really dark in the room so John probably couldn't see that it was already starting to swell. He could take care of himself once John went back to sleep.

But John looked at his right hand, and then rubbed his knuckles. John looked back up in panic and asked, "Alec, did I hit you?"

"I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't wake you up, but you were having a bad dream and if I wake Ben up when he's having a bad dream it seems to help. And I always want Ben to wake me up when I'm having a bad dream. But I shouldn't've woken you up. I'm sorry," Alec said as fast as he could.

"Alec, I hit you and you're the one apologizing? That's not how this goes kiddo," John said. He hesitated, and then asked, "Can I look you over?" Alec didn't immediately answer; he still wasn't used to people caring about him. But John took his silence as his distrust of the older man, but he trusted John now. "Alec, I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. Do you want Ben or Dean?"

"I'm ok," Alec quickly reassured. "You can go back to sleep."

"That's not one of the options," John said. "I'm gonna get one of your brothers, and if you don't pick then I will."

"I just need some ice," Alec protested. "If I ice my eye now, then the swelling won't be so bad. I'll even let you look. Just please don't wake them up."

"Sit tight, ok?" John asked.

Alec watched John leave the room, but then he shifted his gaze over to the beds to make sure his brothers were still sleeping. He was surprised that they were all still asleep, especially Ben. He and Ben were extremely light sleepers, but Ben must be tired. He had stayed awake with him the night before since he couldn't sleep. Alec had pretended to sleep tonight so Ben would actually sleep.

John came back with a bag of ice and a wash cloth and asked, "Do you wanna sit on the sofa?"

"Ok," Alec said.

He got up and sat next to John, but flinched when he turned on a light. "Sorry kiddo," John said. He slowly reached out, but stopped and stuttered, "Alec, I-um-is it-I don't have to do this if you don't want me to."

"How bad does it look?" Alec asked instead.

"Alec, I'm so sorry," John said. Tears actually filled the older man's eyes and he pulled further away from him.

"Do you like watching TV?" Alec asked. He wanted to change the subject, and he kind of wanted to know more about John.

John shrugged, "Yeah, I don't mind some TV…"

"Can we watch something? We can turn it down really low so it won't wake them up," Alec said.

A smile tugged at John's lips, and he turned after a moment and turned on the TV. He put it on the sports channel, but then looked back to him.

Alec scooted closer to John and leaned against him. "Ice please," Alec said casually. He held out his hand for the ice, but John resituated him a little bit and carefully set the ice over his eye.

"Is that ok?" John asked. Alec snuggled against him and nodded. "Alec, I never wanted to hurt you. Please, you have to believe me."

"I believe you," Alec said. "Me and Ben have nightmares all the time. They're very realistic."

"Manticore?" John asked.

"Yeah," Alec whispered. "Since we've been out…it kinda seems like a bad place now…" Oh boy, he shouldn't've said that. John didn't say anything so he figured he went too far. He'd never said anything bad about Manticore before, maybe he wasn't supposed to say stuff like that. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that."

"Alec, it's ok," John instantly reassured. "That was a terrible place. I was just surprised because that was the first bad thing I've heard you or Ben say about Manticore."

"I didn't mean to say anything bad," Alec said.

"Alec, it's really ok. You can say whatever you want about Manticore," John said.

"It was lonely," Alec whispered. He was always alone and he didn't know how much he hated it until Ben popped up. "That is, until I met Ben," Alec said, brightening up a little. "We became best friends right away and it was always the best part of the day when I snuck out of my bunk."

Alec glanced up at John and saw that he was smiling a little. "I saw you guys sneaking around, remember?"

Alec nodded, "I thought you were going to chase us."

"I wanted to grab you both and run," John said. "But you guys took off before I could."

"You were a guard and we were out of our bunks. I thought we were going to psy-ops for sure," Alec said. "But then you didn't chase us, which was really weird. Very un-guard-like."

John chuckled and ruffled his hair, "I hated being there. I saw one of the guards hitting you, and I nearly lost it."

Alec shrugged, "That was a common occurrence."

"How's the eye feelin'?" John asked.

"It's pretty numb," Alec replied honestly.

"Can I look at it?" John asked. Alec nodded and turned a little so John could look him over. John gently tilted his head to the right so he could see better. John brushed his thumb over his cheek and frowned, "I'm so sorry Alec."

"It's ok," Alec said. John sighed, but nodded. Alec could tell he wasn't going to forgive himself though. He didn't know how he could get John to change his mind. He frowned, suddenly realizing that he and John actually had this in common. And he considered Sam and Dean just as much as his brothers as his twin brother. He'd felt the need to wake John up because he could tell the older man was in pain. He cared about this family and they cared about him. This _was_ his family.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" John asked in concern.

"You're my Dad," Alec whispered.

"What?" John asked, cocking his head to the side.

Alec looked up and repeated, "You're my Dad."

He slowly broke into a wide smile and nodded, "Yeah Alec, I'm your Dad." He pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. He kissed the side of his head before he released him.

Alec smiled, "You're my Dad."

Dad chuckled and ruffled his hair. Alec thought it was a little weird to think of John as Dad, but it felt right. He just needed some time to get used to it.

" _Dad_ ," Alec said, and then giggled. He couldn't help it. Dad laughed too, but he kept going, "That's kinda fun to say."

"It's kinda fun to hear too," Dad admitted.

Alec turned and rested against Dad again. The ice settled against his eye and Dad wrapped his other arm around him. He felt pretty good and he thought he could actually fall asleep now. He relaxed and said, "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Alec," Dad replied.

* * *

Dean woke up and found something he rarely saw; Alec and Dad were both asleep on the sofa. Dad had a washcloth and a bag of water in one hand and was holding Alec with his other arm. Alec was snuggled against Dad's chest; he turned slightly, but then winced and went back to where he had been.

Dean frowned; why would Alec wince? Alec wasn't hurt, he hadn't eaten all the food out of the kitchen, and he'd been taking his pills so this didn't make sense. Alec only slept with Dad when he was hurt or sick, and even then it had to be really bad for Alec to pick Dad over Ben. Actually, Alec would pick him over Dad too…This didn't make any sense.

"Why's Alec sleeping with Dad?" Sam asked, coming up beside him.

"I don't know…" Dean muttered.

"You think something's wrong?" Sam asked.

"I don't know…" Dean repeated.

Instead of waking Alec and Dad up, he went over to Ben to see if he knew what was going on with Alec.

"Ben," Dean whispered, gently shaking Ben's shoulder.

Ben's eyes flew open and he shot up. He looked around, and then relaxed when he realized where he was. Ben rubbed his eyes and asked, "What's going on?"

"What's going on with Alec?" Dean asked.

"What d'you mean?" Ben asked, immediately looking for his brother.

"He's sleeping on the sofa with Dad," Dean said.

"Why?" Ben asked. "He only does that if he's hurt."

"Is he hurt?" Dean asked. He didn't think Alec was hurt, but their little brother liked to cover things up when it came to his own wellbeing.

"I didn't think he was…" Ben muttered. "But that's one of the few things he won't ever talk about."

"But when would he have gotten hurt?" Dean asked.

Ben got up instead of answering and walked over to the sofa. Dean followed, but stayed back as Ben shook Alec's shoulder. "Alec, wake up," Ben said.

"What?" Alec grumbled back.

"Are you hurt?" Ben asked.

"What? No. Leave me alone," Alec said.

"Then why are you-"

"Leave me alone," Alec repeated.

"Dad," Dean said when Alec refused to give them any answers.

"Hmmm?"

"What's going on?" Dean asked.

Dad opened his eyes and asked, "What d'you mean?" Dean raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at Alec.

Dad took a deep breath, but Alec cut him off, "I had a bad dream and-"

"Alec," Dad sighed.

"Fine…" Alec grumbled back.

" _I_ was the one who had a bad dream. Alec tried to snap me out of it…and I hit him," Dad said guiltily.

"But I'm ok," Alec said before anyone could say anything else. "In fact, I think it's just bruised now."

"Let me see," Dad said, holding Alec back a little. Dad turned Alec's face to the side and said, "Yeah, you're right. It's not swollen like it was last night."

"Can I see?" Ben asked impatiently.

"No," Alec said, burying his face against Dad's chest.

"Alec, let me see," Ben said, pushing on Alec's shoulder.

"No! It's not Dad's fault," Alec mumbled.

Dean's eyes widened and he shared a look with Sam. Sam nodded that he'd heard it too; Alec had called Dad, Dad.

"I'm not saying it is," Ben said. "I just wanna see."

"It doesn't even hurt," Alec said, still refusing to move from where he was hiding.

"Alec, I'm not going to drop this," Ben said. "I don't care how it happened, I just wanna make sure you're ok."

"I'm ok," Alec said.

"C'mon kiddo, cut your brother some slack," Dad said.

Alec finally turned and showed them his black eye. He was right though about it not being swollen. Ben climbed up on the sofa next to Dad and Alec and carefully examined Alec's eye. Ben sat back after a moment and nodded, "Ok, it looks alright to me."

"Told you," Alec said with a pout.

"I just wanted to make sure," Ben said.

Alec looked up at Dad and asked, "What are we going to do today?"

Dad looked to him for help and he tried to come up with something as quickly as he could. "Oh! We can learn more about hunting," Dean said. Dad frowned at him in confusion so he said, "I kinda started teaching them about werewolves a few days ago."

Dad nodded and said, "You want my journal?"

"Really?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Dad said with a small smile. He carefully moved Alec and got up from the sofa to walk to his duffle. He grabbed his journal and brought it back over to them before he picked Alec up and sat him on his lap. Ben quickly sat next to them and Dad pulled him against his side. "Alright Dean, what're we learnin' today?"

"Um, I don't know…" Dean muttered, sitting down at the little coffee table and opening the journal.

"Let's do vampires," Sam said. He sat down next to him and flipped to where Dad had written about vampires. "They're pretty easy, and then we can do ghosts and spirits some more."

Dean nodded in agreement, "Ok vampires, ghosts and spirits, then maybe wendigos…"

"Then rawheads, shapeshifters, ghouls…We're gonna be here for a while," Dad said with a smile.

It did take a while to go through everything with the boys. They asked a lot of questions, but they picked it up pretty fast. There were just a lot of monsters they had to go through, so it took some time.

"Dean, I know you didn't want them hunting, but they're good at this," Dad said, picking up a sleeping Alec while he picked up Ben. Sam was already asleep in bed, and it was time to get the boys to bed too. "I think we should take them out on the next one. I'll make sure it's an easy one so we can still teach them and keep an eye on them."

Dean still didn't like it, but they were good at this and he knew Alec hated sitting around. "Yeah, maybe…" Dean finally replied. "Can you believe Alec decided you were Dad?" Dean asked to change the subject.

Dad chuckled, "No, I can't. I thought for sure Ben would decide first and Alec would be stubborn about it." Dad tucked Alec in and he carefully set Ben next to his brother. "I didn't mean to hit him," Dad whispered. "He just surprised me when he woke me up…"

"He doesn't blame you," Dean reassured. "He just doesn't sleep very well."

"Yeah, well, he's definitely a Winchester," Dad muttered. "He and Ben both…"

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"How bad was it there? At Manticore?" Dean asked. He saw the haunted looks in his brothers' eyes, he'd seen their training first hand, and they never really talked about it. The fact that they had been hurt and shot for escaping was reason enough to believe it was a horrible place, but part of him wanted to know what his brothers had gone through. The other part of him knew he didn't really want to know.

"It was horrible," Dad said. "I don't even know half of what they did to them, but what I saw…We're just lucky they're still alive…"

"You think they'll ever want to talk about it?" Dean asked.

"Dean, Alec just realized that Manticore might've been a bad place last night," Dad said. "That's what they knew, what they grew up with. We just gotta let them go at their own pace with this." Dean nodded, but Dad patted his shoulder and said, "Get some sleep, we'll probably leave tomorrow night if I can find us a case."

* * *

 _"Damn, he's got some lungs on him," John said with a smile. Hayden kicked and screamed in his arms; he was not very happy right now, but he was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen._

 _"Hayden is not happy to be out," Mary said in agreement. "But Eric is so curious. Look at him…"_

 _"Here, switch," John said, holding Hayden out to her. They switched boys and Eric just kept looking around with his big, bright green eyes. "They've got Dean's eyes…" John whispered._

 _"Yeah, they do," Mary whispered. She gently stroked Hayden's cheek and he instantly calmed down. "Aww, see, he can be quiet if he wants to be."_

 _"They're like complete opposites," John said. "Which is good. I guess this way we'll be able to tell them apart."_

 _"I love them so much already…Does Eric have freckles over his nose?" Mary asked._

"Yeah, why?"

 _"Hayden does too," Mary said._

 _"How's everybody doing?" Dr. Hamilton asked as she walked in._

 _"Good so far," Mary replied. "The boys seem to be curious."_

 _"Ahh, let me see," She said, reaching for Eric. She lay him down on the tiny table and pulled out her stethoscope. John went and sat by Mary as the doctor checked his boy over. The doctor frowned though and turned back to them. "Let me see Hayden as well."_

 _Mary slowly passed Hayden over and asked, "Do you think something's wrong?"_

 _Dr. Hamilton didn't answer, but set Hayden down next to Eric. She listened to him for a moment before she grabbed the phone off the wall and dialed a number. "This is Dr. Hamilton, I need two NICU's brought to room 221 immediately."_

 _"What? What's wrong?!" John asked, standing up to get a better look at his boys._

 _"The boys just need a little help. I'm afraid their lungs might be a little underdeveloped," Dr. Hamilton said._

 _"Really? Because Hayden sounded pretty good a few minutes ago," Mary said. "You could probably hear him all the way down the hall…"_

 _"Did he stop suddenly?" She asked._

 _"Well, yeah, but that's because Mary was holding him again," John said. "He calms down when she holds him."_

 _"I'm just afraid that if I don't take them now, it will be too late," she said._

 _He and Mary shared a look; he didn't want their boys to be taken away, but he didn't want them to be hurt either. "How long before you know if something's wrong?"_

 _"I'll come back as soon as I've set them up with a breathing treatment," Dr. Hamilton said._

 _John held Mary as the doctor took their boys away. He worried about them as they waited, but he worried about Sam and Dean too. They were staying with their neighbor, but Dean was probably looking out for Sammy just like he always did._

 _"John…" Mary whispered._

 _"They've gotta be ok," John replied. "Hayden was screaming as loud as he could and Eric was smilin' at me when she came in."_

 _"John, she warned me that twins were difficult," Mary said. "What if their lungs are underdeveloped…what if they don't make it?"_

 _"Shh, it's ok," John said, kissing Mary's temple. "Everything's going to be ok…"_

 _But it wasn't ok. Dr. Hamilton came back with a grim look on her face. Their boys didn't make it. He couldn't even hear what the doctor was saying, he was in shock. Mary was sobbing against him and tears were streaming down his cheeks. His boys were gone._

 _"Can we see them?" John asked, his voice thick. Even though they were gone, he still wanted to hold them one last time._

 _"I'm sorry, but not right now," Dr. Hamilton said. "Let me get some things together. There's some paperwork you need to sign, but I'll bring that around later. Let me know if you need anything."_

 _"John…"_

 _"I know, Mary…"_

 _"John, our boys are gone…"_

* * *

 _More soon..._


	16. Chapter 16

"What is it?" Alec whispered to his brother. Ben's attention was suddenly on the door and Alec listened hard to try to figure out what Ben had heard. Dad was out, so it could be him coming back, but he knew Ben wouldn't react like this if it was Dad.

"Stay here…" Ben replied, getting up from the floor and slowly walking over to the window. Ben's movement drew Sam and Dean's attention who were sitting at the little table in the room. Dean looked to him and silently asked what was going on.

Alec shrugged back and slowly got up, forgetting about packing for the moment. Ben was at the window now and had the curtain pulled back slightly. Alec started to walk over, but Ben waved him back. "Ben, what is it?" Alec hissed.

"We've got company," Ben said.

Alec's heart stopped; he knew what that meant Manticore had found them. It was only a matter of time before they found them, but he'd hoped it would be later. "How many?" Alec asked. But Ben didn't answer. Instead, Alec's eyes widened as Ben suddenly tackled him to the ground. The air left him as something shattered through the window.

"What the Hell?" Dean asked as smoke started to fill the room.

Alec immediately felt the need to cough, and he knew this gas was just the beginning. "Get down and try not to breathe too much," Alec forced out. He crawled out from under Ben and tugged on Sam and Dean's arms to get them on the floor. "It's Manticore. They're not gonna kill us, but they're gonna find a way to take us in."

"Alec, what if they don't take Sam and Dean?" Ben asked.

"Hide," Alec said quickly, looking back to his older brothers. "We'll give ourselves up."

"No!" Sam and Dean refused at the same time.

"They'll probably kill you," Alec tried to stress. He'd just gotten his two brothers and he didn't want to lose them.

"It doesn't matter now," Ben said, covering his mouth with his arm. "We just have to hope they don't realize Sam and Dean aren't transgenics."

Alec nodded and started crawling to the door. They would have to strike hard and fast if they wanted to have a chance at making it out of here. But the Manticore guys knew they had to strike hard and fast too. They knew what they were up against and they had more men.

The four of them fought for their lives, but they didn't have gas masks and they didn't have the numbers. Two guards grabbed him and held him against the wall. Another guard came up and injected something in his neck. It didn't take long for the effects to take hold; the room went out of focus and his knees went weak before everything went black.

* * *

He had no idea how long it had been, but he knew he was on the floor of a truck, his hands were zip tied behind his back, and there were seven other people in the truck with him. One of those seven was Ben, which he knew because he recognized his breathing and he didn't recognize the others.

Alec barely cracked his eyes open; he didn't want the guards to know he was conscious since they would give him another shot, but he wanted to see where everyone was and he wanted to make sure his brother looked ok.

He smiled slightly when he saw Ben looking back at him. Ben's lips tugged up with his own smile when he saw he was awake. Ben silently asked him if he was ok and he blinked once to say that he was. Ben blinked once too, to signal that he was also ok. Alec tried to see if Sam and Dean were in the truck too, but he couldn't hear their breathing. Ben blinked twice at him though to tell him that they weren't there.

Alec silently asked if they should make a move now or wait. Ben barely nodded his head, telling him now was the time to make their move. Alec took a deep breath, and then barely raised his eyebrows to tell Ben that he would distract and Ben could take the truck. Ben blinked once in agreement, and closed his eyes to wait for his distraction.

Alec clenched his jaw and waited one full minute before he fully committed.

He shook uncontrollably, trying to make it look like he was having a seizure. He heard one of the guards call out that there was a problem, and then someone was trying to hold him down. He suddenly went completely limp and held his breath.

The guard moved closer to check his pulse, and that was when he made his move. He headbutted the guard, causing him to fall back.

"You little shit!" The guard yelled.

Alec smirked and jumped to his feet. Luckily, they only zip tied his hands and not his feet. Idiots.

He kicked at the first guard he saw in the temple and he dropped, completely unconscious. He managed to take out another one before two of them grabbed him. One of them came at him with a syringe like they had in the motel, but he kicked the drug out of his hand before he could get him again.

Now that he had the guards' attentions, Ben was up and moving to the little window at the front of the truck. He kicked at the window to try to break it, but Alec didn't see if he was successful or not. The guard he had headbutted was there and punching him hard in the side. He tried to curl forward, but the other guards were holding him up.

He tried to fight them off, but they were pissed. His ribs broke on his left side, his lip was split, he knew he had bruises everywhere, but he was still doing ok.

That was, until the guard he headbutted threw him across the truck. He hit the side hard, and the guard was there before he could reorient himself. The guard's hand gripped his throat and he squeezed.

"Ben!" Alec wheezed. He didn't see his brother in the back of the truck, and he really needed some help.

His vision was going out when the truck swerved sharply enough to throw the guards off their feet. He and the guard fell to the floor, and even though he was having trouble breathing he still managed to get a knife off the guard and maneuvered it to cut the zip tie around his wrists before the guard even knew they had fallen. He coughed and tried to force air into his abused windpipe, but he didn't have time to get himself back under control. He was free now and he could fight without air…at least for a few minutes.

He didn't waste any more time with distractions; he took out the rest of the guards within a matter of seconds. He disarmed them all and found a stash of syringes off one of them. He injected most of the guards with the drugs and picked out two of the rifles for himself and Ben, and then tucked one of the handguns into the back of his pants. He wheezed and coughed the entire time, but his vision was getting a little better. The coughing was killing his ribs though and he didn't know how much use he would be in the next fight.

"Alec! I need help!" Ben called out from the front.

Alec groaned and slowly and painfully moved to the front of the truck. He peeked through the window, but saw that the two guards that had been up front were both unconscious and Ben's zip tie was on the floor. "What's wrong?" Alec asked, not seeing why Ben needed help. It looked like he could barely see over the steering wheel, but there weren't any threats…

"I don't know how to drive this thing," Ben said like it was obvious.

"And you think I do?" Alec asked back.

"Get up here so you can put on a seatbelt," Ben said. "When I crash this thing you don't want to be in the back."

"You're not gonna crash," Alec grumbled, painfully maneuvering himself through the tiny window while holding onto the rifles.

"You ok?" Ben asked, glancing over at him.

"Next time you get to be the distraction and I get to steal the truck," Alec said, falling into the seat. He hurt…his adrenaline really needed to spike again so he could get through this.

"Buckle up," Ben said. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride…"

"Where's Sam and Dean?" Alec asked. He reached over for the seatbelt, but stopped when his ribs protested the movement. Not good…so not good. He collapsed against the door and tried to slow his painful breathing.

"I'm hoping they're in the truck in front of us," Ben said. "Seriously, put on your seatbelt. I don't know how to drive this thing. I can barely even see…"

"I'll tell you where you're going," Alec said. No way was he going to try to put on that seatbelt again. "How're we going to get Sam and Dean?"

"I have no idea…" Ben muttered.

"I could try to take out the back tire on the other truck," Alec suggested.

"If you miss they'll know we're free," Ben warned.

"I wouldn't miss," Alec grumbled. But he didn't make any move to actually follow through with his plan.

"We just have to follow them," Ben said. "We'll break them out once we get there."

"That's a terrible idea," Alec argued. "You know once we get wherever they want to take us, it's over."

"Then come up with something better," Ben said.

He pressed his hand against his ribs to help stabilize them and tried to come up with something better. They couldn't pull off pretending to still be captured; they didn't have any guards on their side to make that work. It was also a bad idea to come out fighting. As soon as they did that, Sam and Dean would be in too much danger.

"Alec, stay with me," Ben said, gently shaking his shoulder.

"I'm awake," Alec mumbled. But he did have to force his eyes back open, which was a bad sign.

"That'd be more believable if you would keep your eyes open," Ben muttered back.

"Well you should keep your eyes on the road instead of looking at me," Alec spat. "None of it will matter if we crash before we get our brothers."

"Well, then you need to keep your eyes on the road because I can't really see the road," Ben said with a small smirk.

Alec huffed, but turned his eyes to the windshield. "Oh no…" Alec breathed out, seeing a warehouse come into view. "We're too late for the rescue on the road."

"What all do you see?" Ben aske quickly.

"A fence with razor wire…it's not the sturdiest, so this must be a temporary set up. There's a gate with a guard, and it looks like they're stopping anyone who comes in…"

"We need to ditch the truck," Ben said. "We can jump the fence and break in."

"They're gonna see the truck just sitting out here. There's nothing out here for us to hide behind. If there are snipers on the roof, then they'll see us within seconds," Alec said. "We should pull up and take out the guard. We can still drive in and try to attack once we see Sam and Dean. Besides, I don't think I can jump the fence right now…"

"You think you can still fight?" Ben asked, shooting him another worried look.

"I can shoot just fine," Alec said. "But it's gonna be a little rough if it comes down to hand-to-hand…"

"Back me up and I'll be the distraction this time," Ben said.

"What if we just crash into the other truck?" Alec asked. He always had the crazy ideas and it was just best to run them by Ben first. He was so glad his brother was here with him.

"Seriously?" Ben asked.

"I don't know…I'm not thinking straight," Alec quickly said.

"No, that might work…" Ben muttered in thought. "The only thing would be we would hurt Sam and Dean by crashing their truck."

"Well, we gotta do somethin' quick…We're running out of time," Alec said.

They both yelled in surprise when one of the guards that Ben had knocked out popped up. He turned and punched him hard in the side, and he hit just the right spot, just the right broken rib, puncturing his left lung.

Alec collapsed against the door and tried to hold on to his side. He could still force air into his right lung, but his vision was swimming and he could barely move. The guard shoved a gun against his broken ribs, making him cry out in pain.

The guard looked to Ben and said, "Move or he's dead."

Ben's wide, concerned eyes met his pain filled ones and he slowly moved away from the wheel. The truck swerved before the guard grabbed the wheel and brought the truck back under control. Alec gasped as he was forced to the middle and Ben was thrown to the passenger seat. Alec started to fall against the guard, but he was shoved away instantly.

He assumed the gun was still against him, but breathing was more difficult than it should've been. His entire focus was on drawing in each breath and staying conscious. This was very bad. They should've made their move while they still had a chance. Now, they couldn't do anything to save their brothers.

They were at the warehouse now and the guard was dragging him out of the truck. The guard held him up and ordered Ben, "Get out of the truck. Now."

Ben quickly got out and stood next to him. Alec was practically wheezing he could barely breathe, but he was still conscious. The guard walked them around the truck until the other truck was in view. He saw Sam and Dean get thrown out the back, but they were both awake and alive even though they were sporting cuts and bruises.

Dean immediately looked for them, and he tried to get up and run towards them but one of the guards kicked out his right knee with a sickening crack. Dean collapsed and held his knee, but Sam tried to get over to him. Another guard punched Sam, making him stop trying to help Dean.

Ben started to go over to help their brothers, but the guard holding him up threatened, "Don't even think about it, unless you think he can handle a gunshot wound along with a collapsed lung."

Sam and Dean were forced to their feet and the four of them were taken to another room. Alec's heart nearly stopped when he saw Lydecker standing at the other side of the room.

"Take 493 into holding and 494 to medical. Dispose of the other two. I told you I only wanted the transgenics," Lydecker said.

Alec immediately struggled to get free, but the guard hit him again in the side knowing that was where he was weakest, and he nearly blacked out. He cried out in pain when he was suddenly being tackled to the ground along with the guard. It took him longer than it should've to realize it was Ben who had tackled him.

"Go to medical. I'll get them out," Ben said quickly and quietly. "And then I'll come find you, ok?"

Alec couldn't answer, but he was going to have to trust his brother. He wouldn't be any help in getting Sam and Dean out, but at least Ben wouldn't be worrying that he was going to drop dead any second. He finally nodded, and the guard yanked him back up. Another guard grabbed Ben and pulled them away from each other.

Alec looked to Dean and tried to reassure him that everything was going to be ok, but Dean was already giving him that same look.

"Tell them to put him under and do the surgery now," Lydecker said. "I want him ready for transport in no less than four hours."

Before anyone could do anything he was taken down a long hallway and into a sterile room. His heart pounded when he saw the sharp instruments and the machines…He hated this; he'd rather stop breathing than get fixed like this. But he didn't have a choice.

One of the four whitecoats looked up when they walked in and gestured toward the table with restraints hanging from the side. The guard brought him forward and manhandled him onto the table. Even though he trusted Ben to get him out of this, he still struggled weakly when they restrained his wrists and ankles.

Another whitecoat walked over and cut off his shirt, and then connected electrodes to his chest. His rapid heartbeat filled the small room, and normally he would be embarrassed that everyone knew how he was feeling but he didn't have any control at the moment.

Two of the whitecoats got the supplies ready, but the guard stopped them when they brought a scalpel over. "Lydecker wants him to be put under for surgery, but ready for transport in four hours."

"Four hours?! The surgery alone is three hours. He can't be moved just one hour after surgery. Even transgenics need a little bit of recovery time," One of the whitecoats said.

"I'm just giving you the orders," his guard said with a shrug.

The whitecoat sighed and said to the other whitecoats, "Get the anesthesia and put him under. I'll get set up to intubate him."

Alec's heart raced as another whitecoat put a mask over his nose and mouth. He didn't want to breathe in, but with having just one working lung he didn't have any other option. He breathed in and could feel the effects almost instantly. His vision started getting fuzzy as someone put an IV in his arm and he took another breath. He blinked, but it took more willpower than it should've to get his eyes back open.

He breathed again and his eyes slowly closed, but this time he couldn't get them back open.

"Open his mouth," the whitecoat's voice was muffled since he was slipping away, but he heard one more thing, "We'll turn him on his side once we get him on the machine. We'll need to support his ribs before we re-inflate his lung. Someone get me a chest tube. We'll need to give him a sedative every 30 minutes to keep him under."

He could barely feel someone releasing his left hand and foot as someone else opened his mouth. He knew this was going to be uncomfortable, so he let the anesthesia take hold and really put him under.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	17. Chapter 17

_Thank you so much to those that are still reading this story, but an extra special thank you to Dark-Supernatural-Angel and Sylwinka1991 for reviewing every chapter! You guys really keep me motivated to continue with this story and I hope you all like it still!_

* * *

As soon as Alec was taken away, Ben went into attack mode. He caught Dean's eye and nodded once before he took on the guards. He knocked out eight guards before someone shocked him with an electrical stick. He dropped down to his knees, but then was forced to the floor.

A guard dug his knee into his back to keep him down, and then cuffs clicked around one of his wrists. His other arm was wrenched behind his back and his other wrist was also cuffed.

He was brought up to his knees again and Lydecker crouched down in front of him. "I'm trying to help you. I'm getting your brother help and I'm trying to protect you from yourself."

"What about Sam and Dean?" Ben asked quietly. He wished Alec was here; he would say something snarky and it would get them punished, but it would be worth it.

Lydecker looked back to where Sam and Dean were, but Ben caught a short glimpse and saw that they were gone. He smiled as Lydecker stood and started yelling at all the guards who were still conscious. His guard stayed with him as Lydecker barked out orders to everyone else. The guards took off and Lydecker walked back over to him.

"You know we'll find them, and then they will be disposed of. You should put them out of your mind before we get back to Manticore. It'll be easier on you if you forget about them before you're made to forget," Lydecker said to him. He looked to his guard and ordered, "Take him to holding before anything else can happen. I'll be in medical."

His guard got him to his feet and pulled him down a long hallway. He was thrown into a tiny cage, which was only big enough for him to sit up in. He didn't even have enough space to kick at the door, not that he could try that anyway since the guard had taken his spot at the door, but it would've been nice to try.

He wanted to know how Alec was doing, but he knew he wasn't going to get an update any time soon. Alec could handle the surgery, he knew that much for sure, but he knew his brother would fight being put under. Most of the time when they were hurt at Manticore they didn't get any painkillers or anesthesia, but Lydecker had ordered for him to be put under. It made sense though from Lydecker's side; this would make it impossible for Alec to escape and if he managed to break free then he wouldn't be able to move Alec right after surgery.

But as much as he worried about Alec, his worry for Sam and Dean was even greater. Alec was safe, as ridiculous as it seemed, but he was. He couldn't get into more trouble while he was unconscious and he was in medical so his collapsed lung would be taken care of. Sam and Dean were just ordinaries in all this. They could take on monsters, but these were soldiers after them, soldiers with guns who weren't afraid to kill kids. The only thing he could take comfort in was that Sam and Dean were MIA at the moment. He didn't think they could stay hidden for long, but they had given themselves a little time.

He just needed to find a way to get out of his cage. Actually, the cage wouldn't be as big of an issue if his hands were free. He needed to get out of the cuffs, but his hands were behind his back and he didn't have anything to pick the lock with.

He tried to find a way to slip his hand free; he pulled and twisted until the cuffs were slick with his blood, but even then he couldn't get free. He wanted to growl in frustration, but he didn't want the guard to know what he was doing.

He sighed; as long as Sam and Dean were still missing then he had some time. If he escaped right now, then he'd have to fight off everyone but still make the ones working on Alec keep working on him. He kept trying to get the cuffs off, but his escape plan was going to be a slow one.

But he was going to escape.

* * *

"Go!" Dean whispered to Sam. His brother took off and hid behind the opposite wall. Sam peeked around the corner with his gun raised and motioned that it was clear. Dean quickly limped over to him, but kept his gun up the entire time. Thanks to Ben's distraction, they had been able to grab a couple of guns and get away before they'd been lined up for their deaths.

"Dean, we have to go back for them," Sam said as they caught their breaths. "We can't leave them like this. Not with that guy!"

"I know, but we need backup," Dean said. "I'm not gonna be great in a fight right now and we're going to need to fight to get them out of here." He was sweating and shaking from the exertion of running for their lives and now from sneaking around. His knee was throbbing and it was a small miracle that he was still standing in the first place.

"Backup?" Sam asked.

"I'm gonna try and get ahold of Dad. I just need to get a phone and I'll call the motel or something…" Dean muttered in thought. "We just gotta stay outta sight until he gets here."

"That's your plan?" Sam asked. "Hope that Dad gets your message and comes to find us even though we don't even know where we are!"

"Keep it down," Dean hissed. "We know we have at least four hours before they move our brothers. So, that gives Dad four hours to get my message and find us. You know he'll find us."

"But you could get us out," Sam argued quietly, putting all of his faith in him. He just wished he could live up to his brother's expectations. "I know you can."

"Not on this knee," Dean replied. "I'm barely standin' as it is, not to mention Alec's in surgery right now. I can't move him…"

"But you think Dad can?" Sam asked. "I trust _you_ , Dean. And Alec and Ben trust you."

"So trust me with this," Dean pleaded. "Dad will find us and he'll know how to move Alec. He'll have a plan, but we'll have to be alive to help carry it out."

Sam didn't look happy, but he did nod his agreement after a moment. "Ok, how are we going to stay alive?"

"We've gotta keep on the move and stay ahead of them. We need to find a phone, and then we'll start looking for Ben," Dean said. It wasn't a great plan, but at least it was something. He felt better with a plan. He wanted to find his brothers, but he knew this was the best way. He knew his little brothers were safe for right now, but he and Sam definitely were not.

"I hear someone coming," Sam whispered.

Dean nodded and motioned for him to take the lead. Normally he would take the lead, but with his knee it would be stupid to be in the way of Sam's escape. Every step was killing him, but he had to keep going. His little brothers were depending on him.

He should've seen something like this coming. The lengths Dad went to getting the boys back should've clued him in that Manticore wanted his brothers and would be looking for them. Alec tried to tell him how dangerous it was for them to be on the run, but for some reason it didn't sink in how serious this actually was. He just hoped Dad would be able to find them. He had no plan on how to get them out of this; he was just trying to keep himself and his brother alive.

"Do you think Alec and Ben are ok?" Sam asked when they stopped again.

Dean really wanted to sit down, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get back up. "I hope so," Dean said. "Alec looked pretty hurt though…"

"And who knows what they're gonna do to Ben," Sam whispered.

"We're gonna get them though," Dean tried to reassure. He didn't have a real plan, but he wasn't leaving here without his brothers.

"I'll find a phone, you stay outta sight," Sam said.

"No, we're goin' together," Dean growled.

"Dean," Sam said with a sigh.

"If we split up and something happens, how're we gonna find each other again?" Dean asked to try to make Sam see reason. He was not going to let them split up; he'd watch Sam's back, but he wouldn't let them split up.

"Fine," Sam mumbled.

They snuck through the warehouse until Sam stopped and peeked in a window. There hadn't been too many doors, but these people had been able to set up a mini command center, and apparently a medical area and a holding cell. He didn't know how they had all of these resources, but they seemed to be ready for anything.

"There's a phone in here, but there's also a ton of guards," Sam whispered.

"How many?" Dean asked.

"10 I think," Sam said. "But they keep moving. And, if we go in there, everyone's gonna know where we are."

"We need a phone," Dean said. "I'll go in and-"

"No," Sam growled. "We're in this together, remember? And even if we don't make it, our little brothers don't deserve this. You were right, Dad needs to know what's going on just in case."

"Follow my lead," Dean said. He opened the door and casually walked inside like he knew what he was doing and that he belonged there. No one noticed him at first, but his luck didn't last for long. One of the guards turned and frowned when he saw him. He reacted without even having to think about it. He'd been on enough hunts now to give into his instincts, but after his finger had pulled the trigger he just stopped. The guard dropped and he just stared. He'd never shot another person before; he'd only killed monsters.

He couldn't think about it for long though. Gun fire erupted after he shot the guard, and Sam pulled him to the safety of cover behind a desk.

"I'll cover, you get the phone," Sam hissed. He didn't react so Sam shook his shoulders and almost begged, "Dean…"

He shook his head to try to forget about the guard; he had to do this to save his brothers. He moved and grabbed the phone off the desk and dialed the number for the motel they had been staying at. The phone seemed to ring forever, and he almost thought it was going to go to voicemail when someone answered.

"Hello?" Dad finally answered on the other end. He didn't sound happy, and Dean just remembered how their motel room had been left behind.

"Dad, it's me," Dean practically yelled to be heard over the gunfire.

"Dean, where are you?!" Dad asked in concern.

"I don't know exactly, but they found us," Dean said. "They've got Ben held captive somewhere and they took Alec to surgery."

"What about Sam?" Dad asked.

"Sam's with me," Dean reassured. "We're trying to find the boys, but we're having some problems…"

"I need somethin' to go on, son, anything that can tell me where you boys are," Dad said.

"We're in some warehouse, but I don't know much more than that," Dean said. "We were knocked out, but I don't know for how long. When I woke up it took 43 minutes before we stopped."

"Ok, that's good," Dad said. "Did you see anything?

"We're out in the middle of nowhere. There aren't any landmarks or anything that I could see, but I just saw a glimpse before they shut the door," Dean said. "Dad, they're gonna move them in less than four hours…"

"I'll find you," Dad reassured. "Just keep you and your brother safe."

"Yes sir," Dean said. He hung up and prayed that Dad could find them.

"Dean!" Sam yelled after he was done talking with Dad. "You're bleeding!"

"I'm ok," Dean said. He looked down, but frowned when he saw that he was actually bleeding. He must've caught a bullet and not realized it.

Sam pressed against his wound which was above his right hip. "We need to get out of here before they catch us." There were still a few guards left, but they were behind cover instead of outright shooting at them.

"Sam, you're bleeding too," Dean pointed out. Sam's left shoulder was bleeding and his blood was staining his shirt.

"It's ok, we can try to patch each other up after we get out of this room," Sam said. He tugged on his arm until he sort of got to his feet. "Let's go," Sam said, keeping them behind cover as he got them out of there.

* * *

Ben gasped as he broke his thumb. It had been a little over two hours and now it was time to move. He looked to the guard to make sure he didn't notice, but the guard didn't care. He held his breath as he wiggled his hand free from the cuff. It was incredibly painful, but he pushed that away and focused on part two of his escape.

He figured he could break the cage as long as his hands were free. He would just have to take out the guard, and then find Sam and Dean. After that, they would just have to find Alec and figure out a way to get out of here. Hopefully Alec was out of surgery and maybe he'd be able to fight off the anesthesia. Alec being unable to move would make escaping difficult, but if he was conscious then at least he could tell them if the movement was hurting him.

He was being overly optimistic and he knew that. The likelihood that Alec could be moved was nearly impossible. Transgenics were tough, but surgery was hard even on their bodies. Besides, he didn't know how well Alec could fight through anesthesia. He'd never known how Alec was when he was seriously injured. He would just have to hope that his brother was ok.

He grabbed the front of the cage with both hands and pulled as hard as he could. The cage miraculously broke and he was free. He moved before the guard even knew what had happened; he was out of the cage and punching the guard within an instant. He grabbed the guard's gun and his radio before he ran out of the room. The pain of his hand was forgotten with the success of his escape.

He found a corner in the shadows and listened to the radio to try and find where Sam and Dean were. He was relieved to hear they had evaded custody, but the last known location had been over an hour ago. He wasn't sure where to look, but he knew he would find them. There had to be somewhere in this place that they could hide.

He moved quickly and quietly to try to find them. He had to stop every so often to avoid being seen by the guards; he would've just taken them out, but he didn't want the entire warehouse to know he was free. If they found his guard, then they would know, but until then it was fairly safe to assume they thought he was still captured.

But he needed to think. He needed to figure out where Sam and Dean were. Alec would just know where they were. His brother was always so sure of himself; he wasn't afraid to speak his mind or break the rules, and he always seemed to know what to do. He always had a plan, or could at least come up with a plan even if it wasn't a great one.

He needed to think like Alec. Dean and Alec thought a lot alike, so Alec would be able to figure out where Dean was. He frowned though; he and Sam were a lot alike too, maybe he needed to just think about where he would hide. Dean was hurt after all, so maybe Sam was making the decisions. If Sam was the one who found a hiding spot, then maybe it wouldn't be impossible to find them.

So, if Alec was hurt and he needed to hide them both where would he go?

Alec felt safer up high, but if Alec had Dean's hurt knee, then it would be impossible to get him up high enough to really hide him. But he'd have to keep him away from the guards…He'd hide him where the guards had already looked.

Ben immediately started back to the main area where they had been in the first place. He stayed in the shadows until he reached the trucks on the far side of the room. He saw a little spot of blood on the floor in front of one of the trucks, and decided that was the one they were in. He made sure it was clear before he opened the back door far enough to slip inside.

Two guns were instantly pointed at him, but he quickly reassured, "It's just me. Don't shoot."

"Ben?" Sam and Dean asked at the same time.

"How did you find us?" Sam asked.

"I…um…I tried to think what I would do if Alec was hurt and I had to hide him. Alec's a lot like Dean…and I thought I was kinda like you…" Ben hesitantly replied.

Sam broke into a smile and nodded, "We were just trying to come up with a plan to find you and break you out."

"Well, we can skip that and move straight to finding Alec and getting him out," Ben said.

"Dad's supposed to be on his way," Dean said. Ben frowned at how weak Dean's voice sounded. He was pale too, and now that he thought about it he could smell the blood in the truck. There was a pool of blood under Dean and blood was staining Sam's shirt.

"You both got shot," Ben stated. He felt guilty for his brothers getting hurt. They were in this because of him and Alec; he never wanted them to get hurt.

"Ben, we're ok," Dean tried to reassure. "We've gotta focus on Alec right now."

"Alec's in better shape than you are," Ben said. "He's probably almost out of surgery. His injuries are being taken care of. You're still bleeding, both of you are."

"But we're still conscious," Sam pointed out. "Alec's unconscious and probably won't be conscious again for a long time."

"And even if he is conscious, he's not going to be able to move. We saw him before we made it here," Dean said.

"What?" Ben breathed out. He wanted any and all information concerning his brother. Sam and Dean saw him and he needed to know how his brother was doing.

"We only saw him for a second," Sam tried to backpedal. "We had to keep on the move so the guards wouldn't catch us."

"He's still alive, but they've got him on a ventilator. Even if we can get to the room they're doing the surgery in, we can't take him off the ventilator. He needs to be able to breathe," Dean said.

"He doesn't need to be on a ventilator," Ben argued. "They usually don't even put us under when they do surgery."

"Ben," Dean said. "We're gonna get him out, but we've gotta do this so it doesn't hurt him. And if we can just hide out a little longer, then I know Dad's gonna get here and he can help us."

"They're going to move Alec in about an hour and they're going to figure out that I'm out of my cage before they even think about moving him. He can't go anywhere, so they won't be worried about him, but I can. They're going to check my cage and when they find out I'm missing it's all over," Ben said. "They'll move him and we'll never see him again."

"Hey, calm down, ok? We won't let that happen," Dean said. "We will come up with a plan, but it's gotta be one Hell of a plan."

"Too bad Alec's not here…" Ben muttered. "He always comes up with the crazy plans…But somehow they usually work."

"We'll need to transport him and the machines," Sam said. "We could steal a truck. I think all that could fit back here, don't you?"

"Ok, we've got the transportation now we just need our brother," Dean said.

"Who is surrounded by doctors and guards and probably Lydecker…" Ben muttered.

"Lydecker?" Dean asked.

"The guy who was giving the orders," Ben said. "He's in charge of us and I guess he's supposed to bring us back in."

"How do we get past all of that when we're both hurt…" Sam asked, pointing at himself and Dean.

"I'll go scout it out. Maybe he's not as guarded as we think," Ben said. "If he's out of surgery then only one doctor and one guard need to be with him. I can take them both out and get him if that all that are there."

"No, we shouldn't split up," Dean refused.

Ben was about to say something else, but then he heard something familiar in the distance. "I think I hear the Impala," Ben whispered.

"What? Really?" Sam asked hopefully.

Ben got up and slowly got out of the truck. Sam followed him to the door, but stayed inside the truck with Dean. Ben ran to the exit, and then quickly left the warehouse. He could see the Impala in the distance, speeding towards the gate. Ben was sure what Dad was going to do to get past the guards, but his eyes widened when Dad drove right through the gate and past all the guards. Gunfire followed the Impala, but Dad didn't slow down.

An alarm sounded, but Dad was already to the warehouse and slamming on the brakes. He jumped out of the car and shot two guards before he spotted him.

Ben ran towards Dad who scooped him up and brought him back to the safety of cover. "Hey buddy, you ok? Are you hurt?" Dad held him back a little to look him over, and then held him close again when he decided he was ok. "Do you know where your brothers are?" Dad asked.

Ben nodded, "Sam and Dean are in a truck hiding and Alec's in medical."

"Ok, let's go get 'em," Dad said, setting him down again.

"Dad, Alec's in surgery," Ben said. "We don't really know how to move him."

"I'll figure out something, ok buddy?" Dad tried to reassure. "Which truck are Sam and Dean hiding in?" Ben motioned for Dad to follow him and took him to Sam and Dean's truck. His brothers let out a breath of relief when they saw Dad. "Hey boys," Dad whispered, carefully moving closer to them. "How bad is it?"

"We're alright," Dean said, but it wasn't very convincing.

Dad knew better than to accept Dean's response though and said, "Tell the truth, what am I workin' with here? You're both bleeding…"

"We got shot," Sam said. "And Dean's knee is busted."

"Dad, they've got Alec," Dean said. "They took him into surgery…I don't even know what happened to him or how hurt he is."

"He had a collapsed lung and broken ribs. They were probably just going to stabilize his ribs and re-inflate his lung, which is why they put him on the ventilator," Ben said.

Dad nodded, taking all the information in and hopefully coming up with a plan. He rubbed his back and said, "You boys are gonna stay here until I come back with Alec. If anyone tried to get you, you fight back, understood?"

"Yes sir," they all said at once. Ben didn't want to stay behind, but Sam and Dean might need protection and he trust Dad to get Alec.

Dad kissed the top of his head and patted Sam and Dean's knees. "I'll be right back."

* * *

 _More soon..._


	18. Chapter 18

John had to force himself to leave his boys, but he wasn't going to leave here without his youngest. He had no idea how he was going to move Alec, but they had to get out of here. He wanted to run to find Alec as quickly as he could, but he didn't want to draw attention. He had to find Alec, get him back to the car, get Sam, Dean and Ben, and get them as far away from here as possible.

It took him a while to find the room they had Alec in, but he did find it. What he saw though, made his blood run cold. Alec was on his side, cut open on the table with a tube down his throat. He'd seen his boys hurt before, but this was different. Men who didn't care about what happened to Alec were working on keeping him alive.

But something else besides seeing his youngest son being open on the table stopped him. Donald Lydecker was standing watch over his son.

"How much longer?" Lydecker's muffled voice came through the door. "I want to move him in 20 minutes…"

"We're about to close, but he needs more than that to recover before he's moved. Everything we've done will be ruined if you move him too soon," one of the doctors said.

"493 is missing. You have until we find him," Lydecker warned. "And if 494 dies during transport, it's on you."

"No threat is going to change the facts. He can't be moved," the doctor stated. "He lost a lot of blood during the surgery and for now the ventilator has to breathe for him. His lung needs time to heal. You know just as well as I do how much a transgenic can handle."

"20 minutes," Lydecker said. He started to head for the door, but John decided now was his chance.

"Nobody is going anywhere," John said, walking into the room with his gun raised. He kept his eyes trained on Lydecker, but ordered the doctor, "Keep working on my boy."

Lydecker sighed, "John Winchester…I was hoping we'd be gone by the time you figured out where we were."

"You aren't taking my boys away from me," John growled. "We're gonna wait here until Alec is able to be moved."

Lydecker shook his head, "494 is not a child. He is a genetically engineered super-soldier and so is 493. They have a job to do."

"How did you even get them in the first place?" John asked. He had to keep Donald talking to give his boy more time to recover.

"Dr. Ruth Hamilton wanted to try something outside of the facility. We had mastered creating transgenics in petri dishes, and then having them carried to term by surrogate mothers. She wanted to try to create a transgenic after conception to see if it could happen. She found a woman carrying twins and manipulated their DNA while she was carrying them," Lydecker said. "Once they were born, she told the parents the twins needed medical attention. I didn't know they were yours then, but they're mine now."

He recognized the name; Ruth Hamilton had been Mary's doctor while she was pregnant. Mary had gone to see her twice as often as she had with Sam and Dean, but she'd said the doctor told her that twins could have more complications than just a normal pregnancy. They didn't want anything to happen to the boys, so they hadn't questioned the doctor.

He'd gotten to hold his boys once before Dr. Hamilton had said they needed a little help. She'd told them they shouldn't worry since these complications were common. She'd said their lungs weren't developed completely yet and she needed to take them to be examined.

"That's why you didn't question me when I asked for a job. If you had known the boys were mine, you would've never hired me," John said.

"But I figured it out," Lydecker said. "494 went to the hospital with seizures and you admitted him under the name 'Alec Winchester'. His blood threw up a red flag since he doesn't just have normal blood. His DNA can be spotted a mile away and I knew exactly which one of my kids it was. His blood isn't normal, but his is weaker than the others since he was conceived naturally. But we found the doctor there, but he didn't know anything besides the fact that they had stopped the seizures. He didn't know where you went or anything useful, so we had to wait again. But we didn't have to wait long. Alec and Ben Winchester were suspended from school three days ago for fighting."

"Well, they didn't have the greatest upbringing," John accused. "Someone kidnapped them and trained them to be soldiers."

"It's not that different than what you're doing," Lydecker said. "Your other boys are trained well enough to escape their execution and call for help. Can't help but wonder how they knew how to do all that…"

"That's different," John argued. "I trained them to protect them, not to turn them into assassins."

"It's no different," Lydecker stated.

Lydecker started to move closer to Alec, but he took a step forward and warned, "Any closer and you're getting a bullet to the knee."

"My guards are already on the way. I don't know how you expected to get out of here, but I'm not just going to let you take 493 and 494," Lydecker said, taking another step closer.

He was too close to Alec now. If he reached out his hand, he would be able to touch his boy. His protective instincts kicked in and fired his gun. Lydecker staggered back from the bullet to his shoulder, but John quickly followed up with a shot to his knee. He ran around the table and grabbed the man's collar before he could call in for backup or even get to his weapon. "I warned you," John growled. "Now, this is how it's gonna go. You're gonna order your men to stand down. Me and my boys are getting out of here and no one is gonna stop us."

"I'm not giving that order," Lydecker snarled. "493 and 494 are mine."

" _Ben_ and _Alec_ are my boys and I'm not letting you near them ever again," John replied. "Now give the order before I take out your other knee."

Lydecker glared at him, and he thought he was going to refuse, but he finally reached for his radio and said, "All units stand down. That's an order."

"Good," John said. He pulled Lydecker to his feet and faced the doctors again. "How much equipment does he need?"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told him," the doctor said. "He can't be moved yet. He just came out of surgery and he needs time to recover. I didn't put him on the ventilator just for the fun of it."

"Answer the question," John ordered.

The doctor sighed, "I can take him off the ventilator and put him on oxygen, but it's far more risky and he has to have something to help him out. We can take off the heart monitor, but he has to have the IV and the chest tube. The fluids will help keep off any shock since he's going to be moved so soon after being cut open and the chest tube will drain the fluid from his lung."

"Fine. Get him ready to move," John said. He didn't want to do this, but Alec couldn't stay here.

"See, we're not so different," Lydecker said.

"I'm doing this to keep him safe from you, not to take him back to Manticore," John said in disgust. He looked back to Alec to make sure he was ok and to watch the doctors. He didn't want them doing anything to hurt his boy.

But they were surprisingly gentle with him. They removed the tube down his throat and quickly placed an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. John held his breath as he watched; it took a few long seconds, but Alec's chest finally rose and fell with his shallow breathing. The doctor removed the electrodes from Alec's chest, and his rapid heartbeat no longer filled the room. The doctors worked around him and situated him until he just had the oxygen mask, the IV, and the chest tube.

The doctor looked to him once they were done and said, "He's ready. Surprisingly, he came off of the ventilator without a problem, but his lung is still very weak. And if he does survive the trip, then it will be very painful for him to breathe when he wakes up. I suggest keeping him sedated until you reach your destination, but he has to be sedated every 30 minutes."

John nodded in understanding and took the syringes and the little bottle the doctor handed to him. "Is there a gurney around here?" John asked. The table Alec was on didn't have wheels, but he knew he wouldn't be able to carry him out of here. He was taking a big enough risk as it was, he didn't want to add to it.

The doctor nodded and left the room. He came back a moment later, pushing a gurney in front of him. He put the gurney next to Alec and looked to the other doctor. They both grabbed the sheet that was under Alec, and then the doctor said, "On my count. One, two, three." On three they both lifted Alec and carefully placed him on the gurney.

"You push it," John said to the doctor. He still had Lydecker by the collar, and he wasn't planning on letting go until they were far away from this place.

They walked through the hall, back to the main area of the building. There were guards still, but they followed the orders Lydecker gave them. John motioned for the doctor to stop once they were close to the truck where Sam, Dean, and Ben were hiding and he quickly knocked on the back door.

Ben barely opened the door to make sure it was him, but his eyes widened when he saw Lydecker. But it was even more obvious when he saw his brother. As soon as Ben saw Alec it was like no one else was even in the room. He jumped out of the truck and ran over to Alec as fast as he could, but he stopped when he was next to him and very carefully grabbed his hand.

John had to force his eyes away from his twin boys when he heard movement from inside the truck. He breathed out in relief when his other two boys appeared. Sam was supporting a barely conscious Dean, but they were both still alive. John started to move to help them out of the truck, but he forgot he was still holding Lydecker hostage.

Instead he looked to the doctor and ordered, "Help them out of the truck."

The doctor quickly moved and helped Dean get out first. Dean was unsteady and pale, but when the doctor helped him move his shirt came up and he saw white bandages wrapped around him. He looked to Sam and saw that he had bandages under his shirt too; he could see them through the bullet hole in his son's shirt.

His eyes moved back to his twins; Ben's wrists were both wrapped, but he appeared to be ok. He looked back to Sam who nodded, answering his unasked question. Ben had patched them both up while he'd gone to get Alec.

Sam took over helping Dean walk again as soon as he was out of the truck and the doctor went back over to Alec.

"You boys ok to go for a ride?" John asked. This was going to hurt Alec, but he didn't have any other way to get them all out of here. Dean couldn't drive in the state he was in, so this was going to have to work.

"Yes sir," Sam answered.

"Alright, let's go to the car," John said.

* * *

"He still doin' ok?" Dad asked, trying to turn to see Alec as he drove.

It was a tight fit in the backseat, but none of them minded. They had come too close to losing each other to complain about having some personal space right now. Dean ran his hand through Alec's short hair and breathed out, "Yeah, he's doin' ok…"

Alec was lying across the three of them in the backseat. It had been a struggle to get him in without jostling him too much, but he was in. They'd put the oxygen tank on the floor and had hung the IV bag over the back door. So far Alec was hanging in there, but they'd been driving for a long time to put some distance between them and the warehouse.

"I would've never taken him off the gurney to transport him," their unwanted guest muttered.

The only reason all four of them were in the back was because Lydecker was still with them. Dad had decided to keep him with them just in case the guards decided to follow them. Dean couldn't wait until they ditched the man who had tried to kidnap his brothers.

"I didn't ask you," Dad grumbled back.

"Dad, how long are you going to keep him with us?" Sam asked.

"Until we're far enough away that I can toss him out," Dad replied. "Just keep an eye on your brother, I'll worry about Lydecker."

Ben was sitting the middle and he was the only one besides Alec who hadn't said anything. Ben wasn't normally a big talker, but he was completely silent now. His focus was on Alec and Dean thought it was probably going to stay that way until Alec woke up.

But Alec looked about as bad as he felt. His skin was a sickly gray color and he had a cold sweat going. His hair was slightly damp with sweat and his breathing was ragged and shallow. They needed to stop soon; this much movement wasn't doing his body any good.

"Dad, Alec's starting to shake," Sam said after a few more miles had flown by.

"Shake with seizures or…" Dad trailed off, waiting for Sam to fill in the blank.

Sam looked to him though, unsure if it was the seizures or not. "No, I think he has a fever," Dean said. He glanced over at Ben who nodded back to him. "I think we need to stop soon…"

"We're almost to a place where I can dump Lydecker," Dad tried to reassure.

But Dean knew after they dumped Lydecker they would still have to drive some more to get away completely. He didn't know if Alec could make it that long.

It got to the point where Alec was barely breathing before Dad stopped the car. He turned to look Alec over, and then said, "Ben, put just a little bit of pressure on his left side."

"That's his hurt side!" Sam yelled.

"I know it doesn't make sense, but just put your hand over his ribs and barely press. It should help him take deeper breaths," Dad said.

Ben slowly and carefully put his hand over Alec's side. It didn't make sense, but the pressure seemed to help him just like Dad said it would. Ben's lips twitched up, which was the closest he had come to smiling in a while.

Dad turned back to the front and pushed Lydecker towards the passenger door. "Your ride's over. Get out," Dad ordered.

"This isn't over 493," Lydecker said, making Ben shiver.

Dean put his arm around Ben's shoulders as Lydecker and Dad both got out of the car and walked a few feet away from them. Dean couldn't hear what they were saying, but it wasn't a long conversation anyway. Dad hit Lydecker with the butt of his gun, and Lydecker fell to the ground unconscious.

"How much further do you think he can go?" Dad asked as he got back in the car.

"He's breathing a little better now, but I don't think he can keep going like this," Dean said.

"Give me a time Dean. How long can I keep driving?" Dad asked.

"20 minutes at most," Dean said, running his fingers through his brother's hair again.

Dad nodded and pushed the Impala to go faster. He knew they couldn't get far with only 20 minutes, but it was going to have to be enough. Dad stopped, but it wasn't where Dean expected him to stop. Usually they went to run down, out of the way motels, but this was busy and looked out of their price range.

"I'll be right back," Dad said, cutting the engine. They sat there in silence until he came back and moved them to the other side of the hotel. "Ok, I'm gonna pick him up. Can you grab the oxygen tank and the IV bag?" Dad asked him.

Dean nodded and waited until Alec was out of the car before he got out. He forgot about his knee though and instantly fell when put weight on it.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, scrambling to get out of the car. Ben was already moving to get the oxygen tank and IV bag, and then Sam was next to him helping him stand again.

"Thanks Sam," Dean breathed out. Sitting had made him stiff and his knee throbbed with each step they took.

They slowly made their way inside and Dad carefully lay Alec on the bed. "Ok kiddo, let's look you over," Dad whispered to Alec. Sam helped him sit on the other bed while Dad carefully checked Alec's pulse and looked at his stitches. Dad adjusted the oxygen tank and made sure the mask was still in place before he ran his hand through Alec's hair. "Ben, will you sit by him while I check Sam and Dean?"

Ben nodded and immediately got on the bed next to Alec. Dad walked over to them, but Dean stopped him, "Ben already patched us both up. I just need to ice my knee and we both need rest."

"I just want to make sure," Dad said. Dean could see the guilt Dad was feeling for them even being in this situation in the first place. That's probably why he went big on getting them a hotel room. That, and he probably thought it would be good to have all these witnesses around in case Manticore came after them again.

Dean finally nodded and let Dad check his bullet wound and his knee. He was exhausted, but he had to make sure Sam was ok too. But Dad declared that he and Sam were going to be fine and that Ben had done a great job patching them up. Ben hadn't acknowledged the praise; his attention was on Alec and he didn't look like he was going to move for a long time.

"Ok, time for some rest," Dad said, wrapping his knee in ice. "I'm gonna keep watch and I'll wake you up if anything changes with Alec."

"Thanks Dad," Dean mumbled. Dad helped him lie back and he was asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Alec hurt. Every breath seemed to be killing him; even just lying there seemed to hurt. He'd had surgery before, but he didn't remember feeling this bad afterwards. They must've cut off his pain meds, which was no surprise since it was Manticore, but still…

"Alright kiddo, time for another check," Dad's voice filtered through. What was Dad doing there? He was with Manticore…wasn't he? "Your brothers are wiped out. Even Ben fell asleep after the last check," Dad said. There was a gentle pressure on the inside of his wrist, and then Dad said, "You've got a pretty good fever goin', but your pulse is better than it was…Your breathing though…" Dad moved something that was on his face and he frowned and tried to get away. "Alec?"

Alec groaned weakly and tried to move again; he was uncomfortable and his side hurt. And somehow he was hot and cold at the same time.

"Alec, c'mon kiddo, I'd feel a lot better if you could open your eyes for just a minute," Dad begged. He really wanted to open his eyes, but that was easier said than done. "Alright, I'll give you some time," Dad said after a moment. "How about I tell you what's been goin' on while you've been out, huh? I'm not sure when exactly they took you off for surgery, but everyone's ok. Sam and Dean are a little banged up and Ben's worried himself into exhaustion, but they're all ok. You on the other hand…you're a mess, kiddo. And at least part of it is my fault…"

Alec finally forced his eyes open a crack. Dad gave him an encouraging smile and ran his hand through his hair.

"There you are," Dad whispered. Alec blinked, but then couldn't get his eyes back open again. If he had any energy, he would've growled in frustration. But the best he could do was stay semi-conscious. "It's ok," Dad reassured. "You've been through a lot. They did the surgery for your broken ribs and your lung. The surgery went great, but I didn't give you any time to recover before I moved you. I think you would've been fine if I hadn't moved you, but I had to get you out of there. I'm sorry Alec."

Alec got his eyes open again; he wanted to reassure Dad that he didn't blame him for moving him too soon. Actually, he wished he could thank Dad for getting him and his brothers out of there. He was going to have to get a better answer as to what had happened when he could do more than just open his eyes.

"Ok, so a few ground rules," Dad said with a small smile. "You're on oxygen right now, and you're gonna stay on oxygen until I say otherwise. Same goes for the IV and the chest tube. You're also confined to this bed until I clear you for the sofa." Alec would love to argue right now, but he was too tired to. Dad smiled though and asked, "Do you think you can stay awake long enough for me to wake up your brothers?"

Alec sort of nodded, or at least he tried to, and Dad turned to Ben and shook his shoulder. Ben immediately shot up and looked for him. His eyes widened when he saw he was awake, and then he asked, "Alec, are you ok?"

Alec tried to nod again, but really it was a small miracle that he was even still awake right now. Sam and Dean were suddenly there and he wondered where they had come from. They were all talking at once, and he couldn't really make out what they were saying, but he was happy to see them. He just wished he had enough energy to say something back.

"Ok boys, let's give Alec some space…He probably needs some more sleep," Dad said.

Alec let his eyes close, but he felt someone ruffle his hair and someone else squeezed his hand. He didn't really fall asleep completely though until he felt Ben lay down next to him. He could relax knowing Ben had his back and his family was safe.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	19. Chapter 19

"Easy kiddo," Dad soothed, helping him sit up and putting a pillow behind him. "Sitting up a little will be good, but if it gets too uncomfortable tell one of your brothers, ok?" Alec nodded; he was still tired and he hated the oxygen mask, but it did feel good to sit up slightly. "I'll be back before you know it," Dad said, ruffling his hair.

Alec watched Dad leave; he still wanted to know what Dad was doing, but when he had asked Dad had told him not to worry. He knew the oxygen was probably running low, so maybe Dad was going out to get more.

He reached up to take off the oxygen mask, but Ben's hand immediately stopped him. "You can't take that off just because Dad left."

"Did he tell you where he was going?" Alec whispered. He couldn't actually speak above a whisper, but just being able to talk was reassuring.

Ben shrugged, "He said he had to go get some things and he wanted to make sure no one followed us."

"We should move," Alec breathed out. "It's too dangerous to stay here…"

Ben dropped the book he was reading to give him a hard look, "You're not moving for a while. It was hard enough on you to move you the first time."

"I'm ok now," Alec said. "Just tired."

Ben rolled his eyes and picked his book back up. "Yeah, ok. Just keep relaxing."

Dean suddenly limped out of the bathroom, running a towel through his hair. "Hey, you're awake," Dean said when he spotted him. "Where'd Dad go?"

"He said he'd be back," Ben said. "He had to go get a few things."

"Did Sam wake up?" Dean asked, making his way to his and Sam's bed.

"He woke up before Dad left," Ben said.

"And when did you sleep?" Dean asked Ben. "You're starting to look as tired as Alec."

He tried to glare at his brother, but Dean ignored him. "I slept for a little while."

"You should sleep some more now while I'm awake," Dean said. "I'm feelin' better than I was."

"You still look pretty pale to me," Ben muttered. "And you're limping more today than you were yesterday."

"Then it's a good thing I'm gonna ice it and hang out with Alec for a while," Dean said with a smirk. He walked over to him, and then gently asked, "Is it ok if I scoot you over a little bit?" Alec nodded, and Dean very carefully moved him closer to Ben. Dean stretched out next to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Is that ok?"

"Yeah," Alec whispered.

Ben moved closer to his side, but kept reading his book. Alec dosed off for a while, until the bed suddenly shifted and he saw Sam sitting next to Ben who was fast asleep now.

"You wanna lie down?" Dean asked him when he saw him look around. "Or is sitting up still ok?"

"Sitting up," Alec whispered, snuggling closer to Dean.

He dosed off again, but he actually must've fallen asleep because the next thing he knew Dad was back.

"Dean, can you get the mask off of him?" Dad whispered.

He nearly opened his eyes; they were really going to let him take off the oxygen mask? But Dean was carefully getting the annoying thing off him, and then he was free. Unfortunately he was only free for a second before something else was being put on his face. Oxygen tickled his nose and he figured out he had a nasal cannula on now instead of the oxygen mask. It was still annoying, but he felt better without the mask on.

"Ok, now let's take out the chest tube," Dad said. "Alec, try not to move, ok?"

Dad and Dean held him still as they removed the tube. It was uncomfortable and he wanted to get away, but he really wanted the tube out.

"Here's some gauze," Dad said. "Put pressure on it and I'll grab the suture kit."

"You think it's ok to take him off all this stuff?" Dean asked. "He's been mostly out of it since we got here…"

"Most of the fluid's out from what I can tell," Dad said. "He's still on oxygen, but this is more comfortable for him."

"You think we should take him to a doctor?" Dead asked. "Just to check up on him and make sure he's ok…"

"That's how they found us," Dad muttered. "Lydecker saw Alec's name, and then just waited for him to pop up again. Hospitals are too dangerous for us right now."

"Even under a different name?"

"They're gonna be searchin' every hospital, lookin' for a kid with Alec's description," Dad said. "If he gets worse or doesn't start getting better, then we'll figure something out, but for now I think he just needs rest."

Alec barely got his eyes open; he wanted to reassure his family that he was ok and try to convince them that he didn't need to go to the hospital. "Hey Alec," Dean whispered when he saw he was awake. "We're trying to make it so you're more comfortable, but if that's not enough oxygen for you then we'll switch back to the mask."

"I'm ok," Alec breathed out.

"Let's get you some water," Dad said, running his hand through his hair. He came back after a moment and carefully raised him up slightly and helped him get a sip of water. "Do you think you'd be able to eat anything? Maybe just a little bit of soup or something?"

Alec shook his head no; just the thought of that was making his stomach hurt. "Where's Ben?" Alec asked, looking for his brother. Ben hadn't left his side since they left the warehouse, and he didn't feel good without his brother there.

"It's ok, Alec, Ben's just in the shower," Dad reassured. "We had to force him to leave your side even for this short time, but he'll be back before you know it."

"You sure you don't want just a little bit to eat?" Sam suddenly asked.

Alec's eyes widened slightly; he hadn't realized Sam was awake too. Man, he was really out of it. "I'm not hungry…" Alec finally mumbled.

"Ok," Dad whispered. "You can try to eat something later if you feel up to it."

"I think I wanna lie down again," Alec said.

"Ok kiddo," Dad said. He gently lowered him back down, but then he carefully took off his bandages and checked his stitches. Alec was too tired to stay awake much longer, but he trusted Dad so he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"Dad, where're you going?" Dean asked. Dad was leaving again, but Alec was still hurt and he was still afraid that Manticore would find them again. He wanted Dad to stay with them.

"I'll be back soon. Take care of your brothers while I'm gone and try to get Alec to eat something," Dad said.

"Where are you going?" Dean repeated. "Dad, Alec's still got a fever…don't you think-"

"Dean, just do what you're told. I'll pick up some children's Tylenol on my way back. Just keep an eye on him and do not let him off that bed no matter how much he begs you," Dad said. "He's getting antsy, but he still needs to take it easy. Obviously if he says he has to go to the bathroom, then you need to help him, but that's it. That kid's way too convincing when he wants to be…"

Dean nodded and watched as Dad left. He was comfortable taking care of his brothers, but he wished he knew where Dad was going and what he was doing. Maybe he could help if he knew what was going on.

But he was concerned about Alec. His little brother still slept a lot, which was to be expected, but he wasn't eating much and his fever wasn't going down. Dad didn't seem as concerned as he should be, and surprisingly, Ben wasn't too worried about his fever. He was more worried about him not eating much, but he claimed that Alec did what he wanted, when he wanted and that Alec wasn't much warmer than he usually was.

Dean had asked him what he meant, so Ben had explained that they both ran hotter than normal people. Ben had grabbed his hand and placed it on his forehead. He'd frowned feeling how warm Ben was, but he had shrugged and claimed it was normal. He'd sort of asked why he hadn't noticed before, but Ben had an answer for that too. Alec had hypothermia when they first came into their lives, so it wasn't that strange that he hadn't noticed. And he'd always just thought of Alec as a warm kid with a warm personality.

Alec was warmer than Ben though, which still meant he had a fever.

He sighed; he would just have to watch out for his little brother and do what he could to get him better. He slowly limped over to the kitchen and grabbed the can of soup that Dad had left on the counter. His knee was still bothering him and his side hurt, but there wasn't much else he could do but wait until he healed.

"He left again, didn't he?" Sam asked, coming out of the bathroom. Dean nodded, but continued getting the soup ready for Alec. "Why does he keep doing this? He knows Alec needs him right now…We all do."

"Sam, it's fine. I can take care of everything until he gets back," Dean said. "Alec's doin' a lot better than he was and he's more comfortable since we took out the chest tube."

"Yeah, but you're still hurting," Sam pointed out.

"I'm fine," Dean said. "And if I can get Alec to eat something, he'll be fine too."

"But Dad should be here. What it…what if Manticore finds us again?" Sam asked.

"Sam, they won't find us again," Dean tried to reassure. "Let's just worry about Alec right now, ok?"

"Dean, just because we ignore Manticore, it doesn't mean they'll go away," Sam stated.

"Sam. Alec. Now," Dean growled. He pulled the bowl of soup from the microwave and walked over to the bed that Alec and Ben were sharing. He set the bowl down on the nightstand before he sat next to Alec. He brushed his fingers through his brother's soft hair and said, "Hey kiddo, can you wake up for me?"

Alec frowned and turned towards him slightly, but he didn't wake up. Ben did though; he rubbed his eyes and asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm gonna try to get Alec to eat something," Dean said. "C'mon Alec, just wake up for a few minutes…"

"He's not gonna do it," Ben muttered, slowly sitting up. He scooted back and leaned against the headboard, "Where's Dad?"

"He left again," Sam said from across the room. "Typical Dad…"

"Sam…" Dean sighed.

"Dean, it was only a matter of time before he dropped the whole Dad act and you know it," Sam said angrily. "He stuck around for a while because he found Ben and Alec, but now he's back to his obsession of finding whatever killed Mom."

"He's just making sure Manticore isn't tracking us," Dean lied. He gently tapped Alec's cheek and said, "Alec, I'm not stopping until you wake up. I know you can hear me." Alec's eyes finally opened, and he gave him a pitiful glare. He chuckled though and said, "C'mon, I made you some soup."

"I'm not hungry," Alec whispered.

Ben huffed, "Told you."

Dean ran his hand down his face, but then said, "What if we make a deal?"

Alec scowled, "What kind of deal?"

"You eat this soup and I'll move you to the sofa," Dean said. "Then we can watch TV all day, but that's only if you eat this…"

"Throw in some fresh air and you've got a deal," Alec said.

"Here we go…" Ben muttered. He got up from the bed and walked over to Sam. "My money's on Alec."

"Dean's not gonna budge on this one. Dad doesn't even want him on the sofa," Sam argued.

"You know I can't do that. I'm breakin' the rules just by moving you to the sofa," Dean replied, ignoring Sam and Ben. He would find out what they were up to later; right now he had to focus on bargaining with his little brother.

Alec looked at him with his big, sad green eyes and asked, "Not even for a minute?"

"No," Dean said, refusing to back down.

"But I feel like I haven't seen the sun in days. I'm wasting away on this bed and it smells like blood in here," Alec said, pitifully.

"No Alec. I'll open a window, but I'm not taking you outside," Dean said.

"What if you just carried me to the bathroom and took a small detour to the door and just stood outside for one minute. That's all I'm asking for. Then I'll eat all the soup and watch all the TV that I can if you just take me outside for one minute," Alec begged.

Damn. Alec was too convincing when he wanted to be. It made sense to just take him outside for a minute if he was already carrying Alec to the bathroom. And if this got Alec to eat, then it was going to be worth it.

"He's going to cave," Ben whispered.

"No he's not," Sam replied.

Dean glared at them both before he focused on Alec's cute little face again. He still had his puppy dog eyes going and he whispered, "Please Dean?"

He sighed, "Fine…One minute, and they you eat this whole bowl of soup."

"And move to the sofa," Alec said.

"And move to the sofa," Dean said. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Alec said with a wide smile.

"But if Dad ever finds out…"

"Secret's safe with me," Alec said. "Ben will keep a lookout for when Dad gets back so you can move me again before he sees. So, can we go outside now?"

"Soup first," Dean said. Alec rolled his eyes, but nodded his ok. Dean held the bowl while Alec slowly dipped out a spoonful of soup. His hands were shaking slightly, and he made a mental note to get Alec his pills right after he finished his soup. He didn't think this was the seizures, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Can I be done?" Alec asked after he ate about half of the soup.

Dean could tell he wasn't faking to get out of eating the rest; he really did look a little nauseous. "Yeah, you can be done for now. I'm just gonna have you take some pills real quick, ok?" Dean asked. Alec nodded and took his pills without arguing. "You wanna go outside now?" Dean asked, and Alec nodded again. He carefully took off the nasal cannula and picked up his baby brother.

Alec rested his head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around his neck. Dean smiled as he carried his little brother to the door and took him outside. Alec breathed as deeply as his injured lung allowed and looked around. "Feels good," Alec whispered.

Dean chuckled, "Alec, it's only about 40 degrees out here."

"The air's fresh," Alec said, resting against him again.

"Yeah, it is," Dean agreed. He stood outside with Alec for a little while longer before he said, "Ok, now it's time to go back inside."

"Just a few more minutes?" Alec asked.

"No Alec, you don't even have a coat on," Dean said. "And you only ate half the soup."

"Ok…" Alec said, snuggling against his neck.

Dean took him back inside and put him on the sofa. Alec actually stayed where he put him while he got the oxygen and brought it over. He got his little brother set up again while Sam and Ben brought over pillows and blankets.

Alec looked pretty comfortable by the time they were done, comfortable enough that Dean actually thought he was asleep again. But then Alec whispered, "TV please…" Dean chuckled and turned on the TV.

"I'll give you back your book if you can get Dean to lie down," Ben whispered to Sam.

"Deal," Sam whispered back.

"What are you two doing?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," they replied at the same time.

"Doesn't sound like nothing," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ben?" He knew Ben would talk if he asked him.

"We've just been making bets every so often…" Ben muttered with his head down. "We don't actually bet money…but it's kind of fun."

"What kind of bets?" Dean asked.

"Just little things…" Ben said.

"Just things like if you or Alec will win the argument or if one of us can get you to do something. Those kind of things," Sam said. "And we just trade books since neither of us have any money."

"Well, just don't let Dad catch you," Dean said, trying to hide his smile.

"We won't," they said at the same time again.

Dean nodded, and then turned back to Alec. "Who wins if I lie down?" He asked.

"I do!" Sam said.

Dean scooted Alec over, but then held him as he laid down. Alec always slept better with someone around and he was feeling pretty tired himself. Besides, this was how Alec got to feeling better after his seizures, so maybe it would work again.

"I still won last time," Ben grumbled.

* * *

Dean startled awake, still on the sofa and still holding Alec while he slept. He heard heavy footsteps and he tried to think of where the closest weapon was, but then he recognized the footsteps. Dad was back.

He heard Dad walk over to the beds and fabric rustled as he tucked Sam and Ben in. Dad walked over to the sofa next and he blinked sleepily up at his Dad when he came into view.

"Hey kiddo," Dad whispered.

"Hey Dad," Dean whispered back.

"I see Alec talked you into breaking the rules," Dad said, raising his eyebrows.

"Like you said, he can be very convincing," Dean said. "But we bargained and he ate half a bowl of soup."

"That's pretty good," Dad said. "You think he can move soon? It's not safe for us to stick around for much longer…"

"I don't know…it's gonna be hard on him to move, but it would be better to move than to run into Manticore again," Dean said.

"Ok, get some rest. We'll leave in the morning," Dad said.

"Wait, are you serious?" Dean asked. "They're that close that we have to leave tomorrow?"

"No, if they were that close then we would be leaving right now," Dad said. "But I have a lead on another case and they are getting closer so it's time to go."

"Dad, we're not hunting like this," Dean said. "Not after what just happened."

"I'm hunting. Not you or the boys," Dad said.

"Could we wait another day? I was thinking the boys could go swimming tomorrow…" Dean said. "We don't usually stop where there's a pool and it might feel good for Alec to get to move around. Water's supposed to help with the whole recovery process…"

"Dean, it's not safe for them to be seen," Dad said.

"I've looked, it's not busy in the morning. The pool's indoors and most of the other guests are leaving tomorrow," Dean tried to reason. "And I don't think they've ever gone swimming before…"

"They don't even have swim trunks," Dad said. "And what if there are other people at the pool? They'll see their scars, _your_ scars. We can't expose them like that."

"I'll make sure no one's around," Dean said. "You can still do some research on the case from here and I'll take them swimming. Then we can leave."

Dad took a deep breath, but then nodded. "Ok, just for the morning. We're still leaving tomorrow."

* * *

"What're we doing?" Alec asked in confusion. Dean had given both of his brothers swim trunks to change into and now he was carrying Alec to the pool while Ben and Sam walked in front of them. It was a good thing Alec was small for his age. It would look a little weird for a 16 year old to carry around a 9 year old, but Alec looked younger than 9.

"We're gonna go swimming," Dean said. "It's supposed to help when you're hurt or sore."

"So, it'll be good for both of us," Alec said.

"Yeah, it'll be good for both of us," Dean agreed.

"At least we get to go outside," Alec said, enjoying the brief sunlight before they were inside again.

"I think you're gonna like swimming," Dean said. "If we weren't hurt we could play in the pool, but this is going to be more relaxing instead of playing."

"Did Dad say we were leaving today or did I dream all of that last night?" Alec asked.

"We're leaving today," Dean said. "I know you're not ready to travel yet, but Dad's afraid Manticore's gonna find us again if we stay here much longer. Hopefully swimming helps a little bit so it won't be as bad."

"I'll be ok," Alec reassured. "It's good that we're leaving."

"It's all clear," Sam said, running back over to them with Ben. "No one else is in the pool."

Dean smiled and carried Alec inside, and set their towels down on one of the pool chairs. Sam and Ben both got in the water, but he set Alec down at the edge and got in before he picked Alec up from the edge and brought him into the water. "Is this ok or does your side hurt?"

"This is ok," Alec said.

"Alright, I'm gonna set you down where you can touch, ok? But if your side starts to hurt I'll pick you up again," Dean said.

Alec smiled and nodded. Dean let him go so he could slowly swim around and it did seem to help. He started looking more relaxed and more like his graceful self. Ben and Sam stayed close to him just in case he needed help, but he actually did pretty good.

Dean swam around a little too and he could feel his knee loosening up. Alec swam over to him after a while and he picked him up again. "This is fun," Alec said.

"Is it helping?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I feel good," Alec said. "I think I could eat the rest of the soup now."

Dean chuckled, "Ok, once we go back to the room, I'll make you the rest of that soup."

"Where are we gonna go this time?" Alec asked.

"I don't know, but none of us are hunting," Dean said. "Not for a long time."

"Dean?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"What if Manticore finds us again?" Alec asked, a small tremor of fear in his voice.

"Then we'll fight them off and get away again," Dean said. Alec still looked scared so he said, "Alec, we're not going to let Manticore find us again. We'll be better at covering our tracks and…I don't know…me and Dad will learn more first aid so you and Ben won't have to go to the hospital anymore."

"I don't want to lose any of you," Alec whispered, snuggling against his neck again.

Dean kissed the side of Alec's head and said, "We don't want to lose you either, kiddo."

"Dean! Somebody's coming," Sam said, swimming over to them.

"Ok, swim time's over," Dean said. "Ben! C'mon, time to go back to the room."

Ben swam over to them and got out with Sam. Dean carried Alec out of the pool, and then wrapped him up in a big towel before he picked him up again.

"Dean, can we go swimming again later?" Ben asked.

"Well, we're actually going to leave tonight," Dean said, using his free arm to pull Ben against his side. "But the next time we stay at a place with a pool, we'll definitely go swimming, ok?"

"Ok," Ben said.

Dean got Alec set up again once they were back to the room. He ate more soup, and then slept until Dad decided it was time to go. They packed their things and made it look like they had never been there before they disappeared.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	20. Chapter 20

_'Bobby,_

 _We're leaving the twins with you for the summer so Dad can follow some leads and the boys can hopefully have some fun…Dad said it was ok and that you agreed with the plan. Alec's pissed off right now, but he'll bounce back once he gets to go outside. Ben probably won't talk to you until Alec decides he's ok with staying._

 _A few things that will probably help with the twins…Alec will argue with you until he gets his way when it comes to bedtime. The best thing to do is just let him sit with you in the living room and watch TV until he falls asleep. Then just wake him up after a while and get him to move. He's a lot easier to deal with when he just wakes up. But he has to go up to his and Ben's room because Ben has nightmares and he needs Alec there to help him through it._

 _If the twins are upset about something and won't talk about it, then it's probably about Manticore. It won't do any good to talk about it, so it'll be easier to just get his brother and have them take care of each other._

 _Alec should have enough pills to last the summer, if something happens then he knows what to get and he can point them out to you. He knows he's supposed to take them every day, but remind him until he rolls his eyes and walks off. But never bring it up around any of the friends he makes because he'll just stop taking them to get back at you. Also, he's gonna make a lot of friends so if you don't want them at your house, you better put your foot down and never show any weakness. He's a nightmare to deal with._

 _He's also on a kick to make money, so just keep an eye out for anything illegal. Ben usually pulls him back when he gets a crazy idea, but not every time. Alec is_ very _convincing…And if he ever gets on your nerves with all his talking, just feed him. Or offer him some money since he's on this kick, but food usually works._

 _Just a few more things to help when they get into some moods. Alec loves affection and craves contact. Just ruffle his hair, pat his back, give him hugs-he won't admit it, but that's what makes him feel better. So, when he gets in a mood about Manticore and Ben's not around, just give him a good hug and let him crush some cars or something. Or…as a last resort, let him shoot something. He loves guns and if you're wanting to go squirrel hunting or something, he'll definitely go with you._

 _Ben's the opposite. He's not a big fan of touching and he'll try to avoid you if you start giving him hugs. Just give him a book to read and he'll feel better. But if you want to keep that book, you have to tell him he can't keep it and get it back from him as soon as he's done. You should also hide any books you don't want him to read, because he will read anything he can find._

 _Alec and Ben are both going to feel like we abandoned them, so I'll call as much as I can to talk to them. Just keep some ice cream on hand to cheer them up or take them swimming in the creek. They love swimming, baseball, bicycling, pretty much anything outside. They also have too much energy if you keep them inside for too long, so make sure they're occupied for the majority of the day._

 _I'm sorry this is all in a note. I wish I could be there to tell you everything you might need to know or that even Sam could stay with you guys too, but Dad wants to leave now and he thinks he needs both of us for the hunt. You can always call me if you need me. Just don't tell the boys where we are and don't let them see this note._

 _We'll be back before the summer's over as long as everything goes as planned._

 _Dean'_

Bobby felt torn as he read through Dean's note again. He hadn't seen the boys for two years, not since John had first found them, but now he had the boys for the entire summer and without Dean to help take care of them. From the note, it sounded like Dean was pretty much taking care of the boys. He knew all these little things about the boys that only a parent would know.

He looked up the drive, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of them before he drove up. He didn't like that John had just dropped them off while he was out, but he couldn't change that now. Dean had left the note in his mailbox; he could tell he wrote it quickly, but he'd put a lot of thought in it too. John must've been planning this for some time even though the boys didn't sound like they were on board with the plan, and this was the first he had heard of it.

He slowly got into his truck again and drove down his driveway to his house. The boys were sitting on the porch steps with their duffle bags at their feet and somber looks on their faces. Bobby got out and walked over to the two of them.

"So, I guess it's just us for a while, huh?" Bobby asked. Neither of them answered him or even acknowledged that he'd said anything. "They'll be back before you know it…"

"Can we go inside? I'm feeling tired and would like to take a nap," Alec mumbled.

Bobby took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright kid, but later on we'll go to the creek or somethin'."

Alec shrugged and followed him inside. Dean had said he was pissed, but he must've been pissed when they had first dropped him off and had simmered down to just being sad and missing his older brothers and his Dad.

Bobby tentatively put his hand on Alec's back, and surprisingly what Dean had put in his note was true. Alec leaned against him instead of pulling away like Sam or Dean would have. Ben followed them inside, but they still didn't talk to him. Alec went over to the sofa and laid down, and Ben looked up at him questioningly.

"Well, you wanna go to the kitchen with me and help me figure out what we're gonna do about dinner?" Bobby asked him. He nodded his ok and walked ahead of him into the kitchen. "So…um, what've you boys been up to?"

Ben shrugged, "Lots of things…"

"It's been a while since I've seen you boys," Bobby said, searching his cabinets for anything they could make for dinner. He might just have to order some pizza since he hardly had any food in the house.

"Dad's been busy," Ben said.

Bobby sighed, "I know you boys don't wanna stay here, but this could be fun. There's a lot we can do and there's hardly any rules at my house."

Ben barely cracked a smile, "Alec will like that…"

"It won't be so bad, and then your brothers and your Dad will be back," Bobby tried to reassure.

"I just don't know why Dad would take Dean and Sam with him, but not us," Ben said.

He didn't have a good answer to that. He wished John wouldn't have taken Sam and Dean with him either, but he couldn't change the man's mind. "Dean told me he'd call," Bobby finally said. "He'd check in and talk to you boys, make sure you're ok."

"You talked to Dean?" Ben asked, surprised.

"He, uh, he left me a note. Told me some of his tricks for you boys," Bobby said.

Ben nodded, "He's a good big brother."

"Yes he is," Bobby agreed. "Now let's order some pizza. I don't have any food in here…"

* * *

The first couple of weeks were a little rough for them. It took a while to get used to living with someone they barely knew. They didn't know the rules with Bobby and they were used to having Dean tell them if they did something wrong. It was weird not having Sam or Dean around with them.

Ben liked routines, but everything was different. He had wanted to leave Manticore, had convinced his brother to leave with him, but Manticore made sense. He had a set routine, he knew what was expected of him, he had set rules, and he stayed in one place. They moved so much and everything changed every few weeks, sometimes months if they were lucky, but as soon as he had a routine everything would change again.

The only constants he had were his brothers and now Sam and Dean were gone too. He wanted to like being at Bobby's, but he knew it wasn't going to last. Dad would come back and take them on the road again. He wanted to have a home like the other boys that he met at school. They never moved around and got to stay with their families.

After two years on the road, he just wanted to stay in one spot for longer than one summer. And he wanted Dad to stay with them.

Alec was fine with it; he actually enjoyed going new places and meeting new people. He didn't like it that Sam and Dean left with Dad this time, but he got over it pretty quickly. He liked exploring and riding his bike; he thought being at Bobby's was the best way they could spend their summer. He didn't mind the constant change or the fact that they didn't have a real home.

He liked hunting monsters and helping people, but why couldn't they have a chance to have a real home? He didn't know what he'd done wrong, but he wanted to fix things so Dad would come back.

He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know how to he was going to do it. He needed to make a sacrifice to the Blue Lady to get his family back together.

* * *

He loved being at Bobby's; he could explore and run around and really be free to do whatever he wanted. He missed Sam, Dean, and Dad, but he couldn't bring them back so he might as well enjoy being outside.

But he was getting bored. He'd already explored most of the city and everything around Bobby's house. Ben didn't want to explore with him; he just wanted to read and stay in his room most of the time.

"Hey kid, you wanna run to town and get some things for me?" Bobby asked, sitting down next to him on the porch. He was trying to decide where he wanted to go for the day, but he couldn't decide.

"Do I get to keep the change?" Alec asked back.

Bobby chuckled, "Sure, you can keep the change. Just be careful, alright?"

"I will be," Alec said, taking the list from Bobby and running over to his bike. Bobby had gotten him and Ben bikes when they had first gotten there and he rode around everywhere. Dean must have told Bobby that they liked to ride bikes.

He actually really missed his older brothers, even more then he missed Dad. It had taken him a while to feel safe at Bobby's since Dean wasn't there. But Dean had somehow told Bobby all the tricks that he'd learned. Bobby knew about how he usually fell asleep, he knew about ruffling his hair, and he knew that he needed his space sometimes. He knew Dean would come back for them, so he tried not to think about the feeling of abandonment that would hit him sometimes. He tried to shrug it off and act like it didn't matter, but his brother could tell so he'd take off and hang out at the creek until the feeling would go away.

He skidded to a stop in front of the store and ran inside.

"Hey Alec, what's Bobby got you lookin' for today?" Mr. Hastings asked.

"He gave me a list," Alec replied, handing the older man the list Bobby had given him.

Mr. Hastings studied the list for a moment, then nodded, "I think I can find all of this for ya. You on your bike again?"

"Yes sir," Alec said with a nod.

"I don't know if you can carry all this back on there…" Mr. Hastings said doubtfully. "It's a ways to Bobby's place."

"I can carry it," Alec reassured.

"Tell me again how you're related to Bobby Singer?" Mr. Hastings asked with a cocked eyebrow. He found it suspicious that he'd never met him before and had shown up out of nowhere 11 years later.

"Bobby's my uncle," Alec easily lied. He was good at telling stories and he'd told this one a lot this summer. "My Dad's on a work trip and he won't be back for the summer. Uncle Bobby agreed to help out and watch us so we wouldn't have to ride around in the car for the whole summer."

"And you've got how many brothers again?"

"Three. A twin and two older brothers. But they don't venture out much. I'm the adventurous one in the family," Alec said.

Mr. Hastings chuckled, "I agree with you on that one. I almost don't believe you even have brothers…"

"I'll convince Ben to come with me next time so you can meet him. He's my twin," Alec said.

"I'd be happy to meet him," Mr. Hastings said. He handed him a couple bags, and then said, "You better get on back to your Uncle's. A storm's supposed to come in, and you shouldn't be ridin' your bike around in that."

"Ok," Alec easily replied. He waved goodbye and tied the bags onto his handle bars. He rode around town even though he'd told Mr. Hastings that he'd go back. He wasn't ready to go back yet and he wasn't afraid of the storm. He didn't particularly like getting wet, but if it meant he could stay out longer, then it would be fine.

His head cocked to the side when he heard something that sounded like a fight. He turned slightly and headed towards the sound. He skidded to a stop once he saw two guys in an alleyway. One guy was beating up the other guy; it was pretty one sided so he thought it would be ok if he intervened.

He hopped off his bike and ran over to the two guys. He immediately kicked out the first guy's knee to bring him down lower and used a hard right hook to the guy's jaw to knock him out. They guy fell to the ground, unconscious, and he kind of regretted taking him down so fast. His adrenaline was pumping and he felt alive.

The guy who had been getting beat up was looking at him in shock. He heard an impressed whistle behind him, making him whirl around to face a tall guy in a black leather jacket. "That was pretty impressive for a 9-year-old," the man said.

"I'm 11," Alec growled.

"You're a little small for an 11-year-old," he shot back.

"I'm small for my age," Alec said. "I haven't hit my growth spurt yet."

"Is that why you know how to fight? You're little so kids pick on you?" The man asked.

"What do you want?" Alec asked, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

"You like money kid?" He asked instead.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I like money, and I've got a place where people would pay good money to watch you fight," he said. "I'll give you a cut of whatever we make, if you're interested…"

"What if I was just being a good Samaritan? What if I'm not interested at all?" Alec asked. This guy was sketchy and he knew he shouldn't be tempted to do this, but he was. He liked fighting and he liked making money.

"I think you are interested," he said. "And if you really are, then meet me here at 11pm tonight."

He disappeared after that, and Alec slowly walked back to his bike. He wanted to go, but he didn't want to betray Bobby and sneak out to do this. But as long as he didn't find out it would be ok, right? And if he really did make some money tonight, then he could add it to his stash just in case they needed it.

* * *

"Alec…what are you up to?" Ben asked his brother. Alec was acting weird, and he knew his brother was up to something.

"Better question is, what are _you_ up to?" Alec asked, deflecting his concern. "You're acting just as weird as I am."

"Just promise me you're gonna be safe and I'll drop it," Ben tried to compromise.

"I can't promise that. You know how I am," Alec said with a smirk.

"Alec…"

"I won't ask what you're doing if you drop it," Alec bargained. "Obviously we're both sneaking out tonight. We just don't talk about it and it never happened, ok?"

"But there's a difference between what you're doing and what I'm doing," Ben said.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You're doing something reckless and dangerous and I'm doing something to get our family back together," Ben said.

Alec looked up at him curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Just promise me that you'll be safe and I won't ask you any more questions, ok?" Ben asked back.

"I'll be safe," Alec reassured.

"Alec, that's not a promise," Ben said.

Alec hesitated, and then hedged, "I promise to let you patch me up if this doesn't go the way I planned."

"Alec," Ben growled.

"That's the best you're gonna get, brother, take it or leave it," Alec said.

"If you don't tell me, then I might just follow you," Ben warned.

"No you won't," Alec replied easily. "You've got you own thing you're doing. Maybe next time."

Ben glared at his brother, but then muttered, "You better be careful."

"You too," Alec replied.

* * *

Bobby sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels to try and find something to watch, but he didn't see anything. Usually he let Alec pick what they watched so he didn't have to choose. Alec liked picking anyway, so it was a win, win.

He frowned though, just then realizing that the little monster wasn't grabbing for the remote or getting crumbs all over his sofa or even leaning against him to get more comfortable. The little twerp was the worst to watch TV with, always flipping through the channels and turning the volume way up, but then he would fall asleep against him and he'd forget that he'd been annoyed in the first place.

He looked to the recliner, searching for Ben's steadying presence. Ben didn't care about watching television, but he liked being in the same room as them, curled up in the recliner, reading his book. He was a quiet kid, unlike his brother, but it was reassuring to have him around. He didn't like it when the kid was around.

He didn't like it that neither of the boys were around and it was after dark.

He turned off the TV and walked up the stairs to the room that the boys shared, but it was empty and the window was open.

"Balls!"

* * *

Alec snuck through the shadows towards the house. He had some bruises on his side, but the stack of bills in his pocket outweighed the slight bruising.

"What was it?" Ben asked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"What was what?" Alec asked back.

"Bruising on your left side," Ben said. "So, what was it?"

"What did you do?" Alec asked back.

Ben sighed, "We already had this argument."

"I know," Alec said with a smile.

"You know I'm going to find out and you know I'm going to be pissed when I do," Ben said.

"Back at ya, bro," Alec said.

He turned away from his brother and started climbing up to their window. He heard Ben huff, but then followed after. He froze though once he was inside their room. Ben came in after him, but pushed his way in front of him to try to protect him from whoever was in their room. He rolled his eyes, but he let Ben have this one.

The light flipped on and Bobby was there in front of them.

He put on a good act, but he didn't like getting in trouble any more that Ben did. Trouble meant punishment, and punishment equaled pain. He didn't think Bobby would punish them, but he didn't know Bobby like he knew Dean.

"I don't know where you boys went or what you did," Bobby said. "And I don't want to know. But if you sneak out on my watch again, I'm callin' your Dad. Either tell me where you're goin' or don't go at all, got it?"

"Yes sir," they replied at the same time.

Bobby nodded once before he left their room.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	21. Chapter 21

"When's the hunt?" Alec asked, settling his chin on his fist. He and Ben were lying on their stomachs on the floor in their room, holding the phone between them as they talked to their big brothers. He imagined Sam and Dean were sitting the same way talking to them. He missed his brothers; he liked getting to talk to them, but he wanted to see them again.

"Not until tonight," Dean answered.

"And then you'll come back to get us?" Alec asked. He didn't want to sound desperate, he loved being at Bobby's, but Sam and Dean should be there too or they should be with them.

"I don't know kiddo," Dean replied. "It depends if this is the only one."

"Will we get to go on the next hunt?" Ben asked.

Alec scooted closer to his brother so their arms were touching. Ben was taking this even harder than he was. He barely left their room unless it was to sneak out at night, and he still wouldn't talk about what he was doing. He didn't push his brother to talk about it since he didn't want to admit where he was going every night either.

"Ben, we're gonna come back as soon as we can, ok?" Dean tried to reassure.

"Ok," Ben said.

"What're you guys doing?" Sam asked. He sounded like he didn't like being away from them either.

"I read a lot and Alec rides his bike everywhere," Ben said. "Sometimes we go to the creek to play if it's nice out, but it's been storming a lot."

"Alec, don't ride your bike when it's raining, ok? I know you say you don't get sick, but let's not chance it, ok?" Dean said. He was miles away, but his big brother still worried about them and it made him feel good.

"Ok," Alec easily replied.

"Sam! C'mere and help me with this," Dad's voice said. He sounded like he was across the room, but they could still hear him.

"I'll call you guys again tonight after the hunt so you know what's goin' on," Dean reassured. "And I'll try to talk Dad into comin' back and getting you guys sooner. We miss having our rotten little brothers with us."

"We're not rotten," Alec said petulantly. "We're perfect little angels."

Dean snorted and sarcastically said, "Yeah ok."

"But you promise you'll call tonight?" Ben asked before he could argue with Dean. "What time will you call?"

"I promise. It'll be pretty late, but I'll call," Dean said.

* * *

Ben watched as his brother paced back and forth across their room. His eyes would dart to the phone every few seconds, but he was being uncharacteristically quiet. Dean hadn't called yet and Alec was worried. He was worried too, but Dean had never broken a promise to them so he knew his older brother would come through.

He remained on his bed though and just watched his brother. Their room wasn't really big enough for him to pace very far, but he didn't seem to notice.

Bobby had tried to convince them to stay in separate rooms so they could both have more space, but they had refused. They both had nightmares and they needed each other to get through them. So, the three of them had shoved two small beds into the room, leaving very little space for anything else. They didn't care though.

"Alec, Dean said he would call. He's going to call," Ben tried to reassure. "The hunt is probably just going longer than he thought."

"Something's wrong. We should be there with them," Alec stressed.

"Just try to relax," Ben said. "You pacing back and forth across this room isn't going to help them."

"It's helping me," Alec growled very unconvincingly.

"How 'bout we spar? That'll take your mind off things," Ben said. He wanted to help calm his brother down and Alec loved fighting.

"We can't spar in here, it's too small," Alec argued.

"Then we go downstairs. I'm sure Bobby won't mind and we'll still be near the phone," Ben said. "C'mon, you like fighting and this will make you feel better."

"Aren't you worried? It's past 4 in the morning…they should've been done by now…" Alec muttered.

"I am worried about them, but right now I'm more worried about you," Ben said. "And since I can actually help you where I can't help them, I'm going to focus on you."

Alec rolled his eyes and grumbled, "You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes…"

"Back at ya, bro," Ben replied with a small smirk.

Alec sighed dramatically before he walked towards the door and looked back at him, "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

He followed his brother downstairs and together they quickly moved the furniture out of the way in the living room. Alec didn't waste any time getting into a fighting stance and throwing the first punch. His brother was seriously freaking out. He usually joked around before he started sparring. He'd have to watch out for Alec taking this too far. He knew his brother wouldn't actually hurt him, but Alec would feel guilty if he left any marks on him even though he wouldn't actually mean it.

He blocked Alec's punch and started his counterattack. Alec was focused though and wouldn't let him get by. He and Alec excelled at nearly everything they did, but they still had their own strengths. He was actually a little bit better at hand-to-hand than Alec was, but Alec was better at shooting. Alec always tried to beat him when they were sparring, but he was usually the one that ended up on the floor.

But since Alec was focused this time he was harder to beat, and it seemed like he'd learned some new tricks. He had no idea where Alec had learned new tricks since he, Sam, and Dean were the only ones he sparred with.

Ben froze when he figured it out; Alec was learning new tricks because he was fighting with new people. Wherever he was going when he snuck out at night, he was fighting and that seriously pissed him off. He'd noticed Alec had been hurting a few times after sneaking out, but he didn't want to tell his brother what he'd been doing so he hadn't pushed for answers.

He swept Alec's feet out from under him, and he fell to the ground hard on his back. He heard the air whoosh out of him, but he moved before Alec could get his bearings again. He held Alec down with his forearm pressed across his chest, holding his dominant arm down with his free hand, and keeping his legs down with his knee pressed firmly against his thigh.

"Let me up," Alec breathed out, still catching his breath from his fall.

"What the Hell have you been doing?" Ben growled. Alec's eyes widened slightly at his tone; he was typically calm and collected, but if something happened to his brother he wouldn't be able to handle it. And Alec was not thinking about what he was doing and he could get seriously hurt or even draw unwanted attention and bring Manticore down on them again.

"What're you talking about? Let me up," Alec said, struggling against his hold.

"Answer the question," Ben demanded. "What are you doing when you sneak out?"

"I thought we had an agreement? I wouldn't ask you what you're doing and you wouldn't ask me," Alec said, still avoiding his question.

"I didn't think you were doing something this stupid though," Ben said. He released his brother, but left him on the ground. He was mad and he didn't want to do something he regretted so he walked away. He needed to get himself back under control.

"Ben, wait," Alec called out, getting up and running after him. "Hey, I'm sorry, ok? I'll tell you and we can talk and whatever."

He sighed, but he stopped and turned back to his brother. "You better tell me everything."

"I will," Alec said. "Just don't freak out, ok?"

"You fighting is more than enough of a reason to freak out," Ben argued.

"How'd you figure it out?" Alec asked.

"You knew tricks that I didn't," Ben admitted. "And since you mostly fight with me, I kinda figured it out."

"This guy saw me stopping a fight two weeks ago and told me I could make some good money. I thought it wouldn't hurt to have some extra money hidden in case we ever needed it, but I also like fighting," Alec said. "Besides, the worst injury I got from it was bruised ribs. Most guys couldn't even lay a finger on me so what's the big deal?"

"Alec, you could've gotten seriously hurt and I had no idea where you were. Not only that, but do you even realize how suspicious it is to see an 11-year-old, who actually looks like a 9-year-old, beat up a grown man? I'm surprised Manticore isn't busting down our door as we speak!" Ben lectured, his voice rising as he went until he was practically yelling at his brother.

"Ben, I don't think you understand how much this helps me," Alec said seriously. "It helps me keep my mind off things. I know it's dangerous, but I don't know what else to do…"

He didn't know how to help his brother, but he'd find a way. "You can't do this by yourself," he finally said. "I don't know a way to help yet, but I'll find one. I don't want you to fight alone though. If this really is the only way that helps, then I've gotta go with you. No matter what, ok?"

"Ok," Alec replied.

"Ok good," Ben said with a small nod.

Alec took a deep breath before he walked over to the sofa and collapsed against the cushions. "What're you doing when you sneak out?" He asked quietly.

Ben still didn't want to tell his brother what he'd been doing. Alec didn't believe in the Blue Lady and he wouldn't like what he was doing to get their family back together. He slowly sat down next to Alec and tried to think of the best way to explain what he was doing.

He took a breath to start explaining, but then he heard footsteps walking around upstairs. Bobby was up and he was probably looking for them.

"Boys?" Bobby called out after looking in their empty room.

"We're down here, Bobby," Alec yelled back.

Bobby walked down the stairs, but Ben immediately knew something was wrong by the look on his face. "Boys, um, somethin's happened," Bobby said. "Grab your things…we've gotta go for a ride."

"What? What happened?" Alec asked, getting back up.

"Dean's hurt. He's at the hospital and it's not lookin' too good," Bobby said.

Alec swayed; he jumped up and steadied his brother with his hands on his arms. "Alec, c'mon, let's go pack. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll get to Dean."

* * *

Bobby couldn't believe John could ever separate the boys. Sam was bruised and bloody, but the haunted look in his eyes briefly lifted when he saw his brothers. Sam got up and ran over to them, instantly grabbing Alec for a tight hug, which Alec returned without question. Sam needed that comfort and Alec was happy to give it to him.

He could see a change in the twins too. Alec was calm now instead of fidgeting in his seat or bouncing his leg, and Ben seemed to be the optimistic one and actually kept his brothers' spirits up as they waited. They needed their brothers. They all needed each other.

"How's he doin'?" Bobby asked, sitting down next to John. The man was a mess, covered in blood like Sam was, and his eyes were blank. It was like he didn't even know what was going on anymore. He barely acknowledged his twin boys, but Bobby would try to get him to snap out of it and take charge once he knew what was going on with Dean. "Have they said anything?"

"He's still in surgery. Nobody's come to talk to us for a while," John said with his head down.

"What happened?" Bobby prodded. John hadn't told him much over the phone, just that he needed to bring the boys in case this was it for Dean.

"There was more than one spirit. We found the bones, but they attacked before we could take them out. Dean was thrown through the wall and he landed on some rebar that was sticking outta the ground. Went straight through him…his blood was everywhere…I thought we were gonna lose him before the paramedics finally got there," John said.

"Dean's a tough kid, John, he's gonna pull through," Bobby reassured.

"Bobby, you didn't see all the blood he lost…He was barely breathing…that rebar went through his chest," John said, defeat clear in his voice.

"You gotta pull yourself together. You got three boys who are worried 'bout their older brother and you're not helpin' them," Bobby said. "I don't care what you gotta do, but you better do it. I know you rely on Dean the most, but he's gonna need his brothers if he's gonna make it through this, so you best take care of them since there's nothin' else you can do for Dean right now."

"I don't need one of your lectures, Bobby," John growled, finally showing some life again.

Bobby sighed, "Just think about what I said, John. I'm gonna go find 'em some food. You stay here and wait for any updates."

John didn't say anything else to him, but he didn't care as long as it worked. He hoped what he'd said had gotten through to the other man, but he wasn't sure. John was stubborn and he didn't like being told how to raise his sons. The last time he'd tried to intervene, John had taken the boys far away from him and hadn't brought them around again for two years. He wanted what was best for the boys, but he wasn't their father.

But he could do something for them; they had been on the road for the entire day without stopping unless they needed gas. He hadn't been able to get the twins to eat much during their trip, but maybe now they would try to eat something. He'd need to find the cafeteria to get them something, and then maybe he could find some clothes for John and Sam. They shouldn't be sitting around covered in what he assumed was Dean's blood. He'd need to get Sam washed up if he would let him, and convince John to get some of the blood off of himself.

He was grateful now that the boys had been with him when this happened. He knew the boys had seen some terrible things in their short lives, but at least they were saved from seeing their older brother impaled by some rebar, watching his life slip away from them. He wished he could've saved Sam from that too, but he would do what he could now.

He brought some food back with him and went out again to get the clothes. Sam looked a lot better once he got him some new clothes, but the twins still picked at their food. John gave him a grateful nod once he sat down again, but he was giving him the cold shoulder. He still hadn't done anything to help his boys.

John seemed to understand since he stood up and walked over to them. He picked Alec up and sat down in between Sam and Ben, keeping Alec on his lap. He pulled Sam and Ben against his sides, and then held Alec against his chest.

They sat there for hours, with very little information from the doctors. The three boys finally fell asleep after a few hours, but it wasn't a restful sleep. The longer they went without any word on Dean, the more they worried. But there wasn't anything they could do but wait.

* * *

Alec woke up when Dad moved. He was standing up and going somewhere and it appeared that he was going with him. He turned slightly so he could see where they were going, but he still rested his head against Dad's chest. He was worn out even though he hadn't even done anything, but his worry for his older brother was stressing him out.

"Dad?" He breathed out when he still couldn't figure out what was going on.

"It's ok kiddo. The doctor just wants to talk to me," Dad reassured.

He woke up a little more; he needed to know what was going on with Dean so he could tell Sam and Ben.

"Mr. Henley, um, are you sure you want your son around for this?" The doctor asked.

Dad's arms tightened around him, "I need him to stay. I, uh, I just…he's helping keep me together…"

"Well, your son Dean is stable, but we don't know when or even if he'll ever wake up. If he makes it through the night, then I'll be more optimistic, but for now I'm very cautious," the doctor said.

"Can I see him?" Dad asked.

The doctor hesitated, "Mr. Henley, it's going to be a shock to see him like this. He could need to go back into surgery, so I don't think it would be a good idea to have his little brother see him just yet."

"The last thing Dean said to me was that I needed to call his brothers. He didn't want to break his promise to them and I know him. I know he hasn't stopped worrying about letting his brothers down," Dad said. "And Alec's here for me just as much as he's here for Dean."

"I just want to make sure he's ready to see his big brother like this. It's going to be hard on your whole family," he warned.

"Alec, are you ok with this?" Dad asked him.

"Yes sir," he instantly replied. He needed to see Dean. He didn't know why Dad had picked him, maybe it was because he was the closest or maybe Dad just had his reasons like he did with a lot of things, but he wasn't going to waste this chance.

"Ok, I'll take you to him," the doctor said.

He kept his arms around Dad's neck and buried his face against his neck. He hated hospitals and he didn't want to see what was around him. The smell alone made his stomach hurt, but he was just going to have to get over it. He knew he was going to be here for a long time.

Dad's arms tightened around him again, and he knew they were at Dean's room. He could hear Dean's heart monitor giving off a steady beep, air whoosh as a machine breathed for him, and other machines whirred as they kept his brother alive. He turned in Dad's arms and tears filled his eyes when he finally saw his brother. He had a tube down his throat, in is chest and in his arm. Electrodes were connected to his chest and on his head. His chest was wrapped with white bandages, which pretty much blended in with his skin since he was so pale. If it wasn't for Dean's heart monitor, he would've thought his big brother was already gone.

Dad seemed to be frozen; he didn't move or say anything and it seemed like he wasn't going to anytime soon. "Dad, can you put me down?"

"Sure thing kiddo," Dad said, setting him on the floor.

He slowly walked over to Dean and carefully put his hand over his brother's. "Dean…I'm sorry I was mad at you earlier for not calling, but you don't have to worry because I'm not mad at you anymore. I know you never break your promises, and I wish you could promise me that you're gonna be ok." He sniffled and tried to ignore the tear that streaked down his cheek. "Dean, please be ok," he whispered. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

* * *

 _More soon..._


	22. Chapter 22

Thank you all for the reviews! Hope you all like this chapter!

* * *

 _Sam ran when he heard the shotgun fire from the other room. He hated hunting, but he hated it even more when they had to split up. He couldn't watch his brother's back when they split up and he didn't trust his brother to watch out for himself. Dean watched out for everyone except himself, so he had a pretty good reason to worry._

 _He stopped short when he made it back to the main room. There was a hole through the wall that was big enough for his brother. He didn't want to assume the worst, but he had a terrible feeling about this._

 _He slowly walked to the wall, but he gasped when he spotted a pool of blood. He didn't even want to see the body that was on the ground, but he couldn't block out the familiar boots, the torn jeans, the faded flannel, the shine of the silver ring…it was Dean. His brother was on the ground, blood leaking onto the floor._

 _Dad was kneeling next to Dean, one hand in his hair and one on his chest. Dad was talking to him, but Sam couldn't hear what he was saying. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't move. Dean was dying. Dean couldn't be dying. He needed his brother; Alec and Ben needed him. Dean couldn't die._

 _"Sam, get over here and help me," Dad ordered._

 _He still didn't move. If he moved, then this would be real. Dean would actually be dying and he could be losing his older brother. As long as he stayed here, then this wasn't real._

 _"Sam!" Dad shouted._

 _He shook himself, but he only moved when Dean groaned in pain. His brother needed him._

 _"Dean?" Sam asked, his voice shaky._

 _Dean didn't answer him. He was shaking like he was having a seizure and he wasn't answering any of Dad's soft commands for him to wake up. He was going to lose his big brother. Dean was going to die right in front of him and there was nothing he could do._

 _"Dean, c'mon kiddo, you gotta hang in there," Dad pleaded._

 _"D-d-dad…" Dean breathed out._

 _"I'm right here, Dean," Dad reassured._

 _"C-c-call th-the boys…" Dean stuttered. "I-I-I pr-promised…"_

 _"Dean, focus on yourself, ok? You gotta hang on," Dad said._

 _"C-call 'em…k?"_

 _"Dean!" Dad yelled._

* * *

Sam startled awake. He looked around and saw Dean was still unconscious. It had been three days, but there had been no change with his brother. He still had all the tubes and wires and the doctors didn't think he was ever going to wake up. But he had to wake up.

He swallowed hard and shifted his gaze to his two little brothers. Alec and Ben were tangled together on the cot the nurse had brought them. He couldn't believe they were actually asleep since they hadn't slept for the past couple days. Ben was using Alec's arm as a pillow and Alec was using Ben's shoulder. It didn't look comfortable, but at least they were asleep.

The twins were worried sick over Dean and still hadn't eaten much in the three days they had been there. He had tried to get them to eat, but he wasn't as good of a big brother as Dean was. Dean needed to wake up and take care of them again. Dean was the only one they would always listen to; if he said they needed to eat, then they would without question.

He stretched to try and work out the kinks. He was on the recliner since the cot was too small for three and the recliner was better than the floor. Dad and Bobby were both sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. They were worried about Dean too.

Dad would pick Alec up sometimes and just hold him for a while. Alec would look a little confused for a minute, but he never said anything. Alec could talk anyone's ear off, and normally he wouldn't even be talking about anything because he just liked to talk, but he stayed quiet when Dad picked him up. Alec was the baby, so Sam could see why Dad would always pick him to hold. And he was the most affectionate and the warmest of them all. When he hugged his little brother, he definitely felt better about whatever terrible thing was happening.

Ben suddenly shot up, knocking Alec off of the tiny cot. Ben looked around wildly, but took a deep breath and let it out when his eyes landed on Dean.

"Seriously Ben? Any time we even try to sleep you always throw me off the cot! My butt hurts so bad because you keep doing this! I'm never going to be able to sit again!" Alec complained.

Sam couldn't help but smile; Alec complaining was the most normal part of their lives. He would complain and overexaggerate and they would all laugh because it was normally something ridiculous that wouldn't actually happen.

Ben ran his hand down his face and mumbled, "Sorry Alec."

"It's ok," Alec replied, pushing himself back up.

"Is Dean doing any better?" Ben asked, looking to him for answers. He was the oldest since Dean was unconscious. His little brothers were looking to him for answers. They expected him to be able to fix things. He wished that he could. He would do anything to save Dean.

"Not that I can tell…" Sam said. "I don't know though…"

Alec walked over to Dean and instantly grabbed his hand. He had no hesitation doing that, he didn't think about how much Dean would hate it, he wasn't afraid of what Dad would say, and he didn't care if they teased him for it. He needed the contact with his big brother, so he just did it. He wished he could do that.

"Dean, you gotta wake up," Alec whispered. "We miss you."

"Sam, do you think Dean can hear us?" Ben asked him.

"Maybe," Sam replied. He felt worse every time Ben asked him something. He was failing his brothers; he didn't have answers for his little brothers and he was failing as a big brother. Dean would be disappointed in him since he was failing so badly. "Um…do you guys want to go get some breakfast?"

Ben shrugged and Alec said, "I'm not hungry."

"Liar," Sam argued. "You eat all the time and you haven't really eaten in three days." He needed to stop moping and start taking charge. He needed to take care of his little brothers and make his big brother proud. He knew Dean was going to wake up eventually, and he didn't want to let him down. "You need to eat. Both of you need to eat, especially since your metabolisms are way faster than ours. So, we're gonna go down to the cafeteria and we're going to have breakfast and you're gonna eat it, ok?"

Alec and Ben both looked at him in shock, but they didn't argue with him.

"We'll be right back, Dean," Alec reassured. "If you want to wake up while we're gone, I'd be ok with that."

Sam gently grabbed Alec's arm and steered him to the door where Ben was already waiting for them. He walked them down to the cafeteria and made them sit down while he went to get them something to eat. He brought enough food back for all three of them, and he smiled when Alec and Ben ate without picking at their food or even arguing with him. Maybe he wasn't a terrible big brother after all.

* * *

Sam sat with Dean while Dad and Bobby got cleaned up. He wasn't sure where Alec and Ben had gone off to, but maybe they needed a break for a little bit. He would try to find them again once Dad and Bobby got back.

"Dean, can you please wake up? You're scaring me and you're really scaring Alec and Ben," Sam said to his brother. He wasn't sure if Dean could actually hear him or not, but it didn't hurt to try. Alec still talked to him all the time, so he could at least put in his voice too. "They seem taller to me, in case you were wondering. Not a lot taller though…Alec still looks like he's nine instead of eleven, but I think that's because Ben acts like he's older and Alec still acts like a kid. Um, Bobby's here too. I guess you could've figured that one out since our little brothers are here too. Someone had to drive them. Except, I think Alec would gladly steal a car to get back to us and Ben wouldn't like it, but he would tag along just to make sure Alec would be ok."

He glanced at Dean to see if he would wake up, but he didn't. His heart monitor continued its steady beep and his ventilator made a whooshing sound every few seconds. He could usually block out the sound, but at the same time it was comforting. He knew his brother was still alive because of those machines.

"Dad's trying to get us to stay at a motel, but that was shot down before he could even try it," Sam said. "And you know how he is with Alec. Once Alec said he didn't want to do it, then Dad dropped it. You know, I think he'd probably act the same with Ben if Ben would ever argue with him. But since Alec's the baby and he didn't want to do it, then that was it."

"I'm not a baby," Alec suddenly said, making him jump.

"Alec! Stop doing that!" Sam yelled. He loved his little brother, but he could be really annoying when he wanted to be.

"I can't help that you don't pay close enough attention to your surroundings," Alec replied simply with a small smirk gracing his face. "Anyway, where's Dad and Bobby?"

"They went to get cleaned up," Sam said. He looked at his little brother suspiciously. He had that look on his face that he knew meant trouble. "Why?" He asked slowly. A scary grin replaced Alec's smirk and he pulled out a folded towel. Sam got up to see what his little brother had found, but he took a step back when he saw the medical supplies lying on the towel. "No Alec, no way."

"I'm not gonna do anything dangerous," Alec defended. "I'm just going to give him a blood transfusion. A _transgenic_ blood transfusion." He raised his eyebrows and his smile widened.

"No Alec," Sam argued. "I'm not letting you do this. I don't think you know this, but you're too little to give blood. _I'm_ too little. It's too dangerous for you to give blood, no matter how much you think it'll help Dean."

Alec gave him a dramatic eye roll, "You worry too much, Sammy. Just keep watch while I set this up."

"Alec, no," Sam stressed. "Dad would never go for this. _Ben_ would never go for this. You're gonna seriously piss him off."

"That's why you're gonna keep watch. No one has to know," Alec said like it was obvious. "And this will help Dean. I know it will. It has to…"

Alec was hiding something from him. He had a look in his eyes that made him think his little brother knew Dean was in trouble, even though there had been no change since they'd gotten there. "Alec, what's going on? Why now?" Sam asked.

Alec looked to Dean, but then looked to the corner of the room. He had a sad look on his face and his voice lacked his usual enthusiasm, "Dean's dying…I can feel it…"

"What?" Sam asked with a frown. "What do you mean you can feel it?"

Alec shrugged, "I don't know, but I feel like I can feel him. He's here, but it's like he's fading. He used to be really there, but now he's only there when I do something stupid and dangerous." Alec smirked a little, "Kinda like now. He seems pretty mad that I'm doing this."

"Well he should be mad," Sam said. He didn't know about Alec being able to feel Dean's presence, but maybe he could. He had heightened senses after all, but it seemed like a Hail Mary to him.

"Worry wart," Alec teased. "This is gonna help him. I know it will."

Alec darted around him suddenly and started setting up for a blood transfusion without his permission. Like Alec needed anyone's permission anyway. "Alec, Dean wouldn't want you to do this," Sam tried one last time. "If you get hurt doing this, then Dean's gonna blame himself when he wakes up."

"Good try, Sammy," Alec said, wiping the inside of Dean's elbow with an alcohol wipe. He cleaned his own arm before he tied a rubber tube around his bicep. He expertly inserted the needle and tube into his own arm and watched as his blood flowed down through the tube. He put the other needle in Dean's arm, and then sat next to Dean's hip. "Sam, keep watch," Alec hissed, when he looked up and saw his eyes glued to what he was doing. "If one of those nurses come in and see this, then they're gonna freak out."

"With good reason," Sam grumbled, stomping over to the door. "You know this is a bad idea. This is a terrible idea…"

"Sam, I gave Ben blood when Dad first found us," Alec said. "And if this happened to me or Ben, you know we wouldn't have gone to the hospital. Or, at least, we wouldn't have stayed here. If I was in Dean's place, Ben would've already given me as much blood as he could. Our blood is special and I think we should use it. Especially since this is Dean we're talking about."

"You're the worst," Sam grumbled.

"Oh c'mon, you know you missed me," Alec teased.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned back to the door. He didn't like this plan, but if this got Dean back then it might be worth the risk. He kept watch, but he tried to keep an eye on his little brother. He didn't know how long he should let Alec sit there, especially since Alec was so little.

But it turned out he didn't have to tell Alec to stop. Alec carefully removed the needle from Dean's arm before he pulled out his own. He pressed a small square of gauze against Dean's arm to stop the tiny drop of blood, and then gathered up the rest of his supplies. He hopped off of Dean's bed, but immediately collapsed.

"Alec," Sam called out. He abandoned the door and ran to Alec. His little brother was extremely pale and he was shaking. "Alec, can you hear me?" Sam asked, gently running his hand through Alec's hair.

"Oops," Alec breathed out. "That was just a little bit too long…"

"Alec, I told you this was too dangerous," Sam said.

"It's not a big deal, Sammy. I'll know better next time," Alec said.

"Except there won't be a next time," Sam muttered. "C"mon, let's get you on the cot."

Sam hauled Alec up even though he argued, "I'm alright. I just stood up too fast."

"Yeah, well, now you're not gonna be standing up for a long time," Sam said. He brought Alec over to the cot and sat him down. "Stay right there, ok?" Alec nodded, so he ran over to their duffle bag in the corner and grabbed their extra bottle of Alec's pills and a glass of water from Dean's nightstand. He sat down next to Alec and held out his pills. "Take two, ok? And I'll get an extra pillow and blanket for you."

Alec grumbled under his breath, but he did take his pills.

Sam stood up and went to the door. He walked down the hall and found a nurse behind a desk. "Excuse me," Sam said, trying to get her attention.

She smiled at him and asked, "What can I help you with?"

"My little brother isn't feeling good. Can he have a pillow and blanket so he can take a nap? And maybe some juice?" Sam asked.

"Sure thing, sweetie," she said.

She left for a minute, but then came back with a pillow, blanket, and a juice box for him. "Thank you," Sam said, turning and walking back to Dean's room. Alec was already lying down on the cot when he got back, but he gently raised his head up slightly so he could slide the pillow under. He tucked the blanket around him, and then said, "Alec, try to drink this before you go to sleep, ok? It'll help make you feel better."

"I'm not a baby," Alec muttered, his voice weaker than before.

"Just do it," Sam said with a sigh. Alec took the juice box and drank it without arguing any further. "Now just go to sleep. I'm going to try to find Ben so he can make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine, Sammy," Alec said.

"Alec, please, just stay put, ok?" Sam practically begged. He already had one brother he was worried sick about, he didn't need another.

"'M not goin' anywhere," Alec slurred, already falling asleep.

Sam gently ruffled Alec's hair before he checked on Dean again. "Dean, if you could wake up that would be great. Alec's gone rogue and Ben hasn't come back for a while. I'm going to go look for him, so maybe you should wake up to watch out for our baby brother…" Dean still didn't wake up though. "Ok, well, I'll be right back."

* * *

He prayed. He prayed for his big brother and he prayed for their family to be put back together. He prayed that he would finally do the right thing; that he could fix his mistakes and make the Blue Lady happy. He hadn't sacrificed enough; he'd wanted his family back together, but not like this.

Tears ran down his cheeks are he silently prayed to himself. He wished he could've convinced Alec to come with him, but Alec didn't believe in the Blue Lady. His brother had told him he was wasting his time and that he had a mission he had to complete. Ben hadn't asked him what he had been talking about; he had wanted to get to the chapel and asking Alec questions would lead them to arguing. He knew he wouldn't like whatever Alec was doing, so it was best to just not ask.

He did feel bad for leaving Dean though, but he had to pray and concentrate to get back on the Blue Lady's good side. Dean needed to get better and he was going to help in whatever way he could. The Blue Lady had protected him and his brother when they escaped and she had given him a family. He knew she could save Dean too.

"Ben?" Sam asked quietly behind him.

He jumped, not expecting his brother to find him here. "Is Dean ok?" Ben asked quickly. Sam would only find him if something was wrong with Dean.

"Yeah…he's ok," Sam hedged.

Something was wrong though. Sam wasn't looking at him, which was one of his tells that he was hiding something. "What's wrong?" Ben asked.

Sam sighed and sat next to him in the pew, "Alec…um…I tried to stop him, but he got it in his head that he could help Dean."

"What did he do?" Ben asked suspiciously. He loved his brother, but if he wasn't getting in trouble, then it meant he was asleep.

"He gave Dean blood," Sam said. "He gave him a lot of blood and he nearly passed out. He's asleep now, but I got him to drink a juice box before he fell asleep."

"Alec," Ben said with a sigh. "I should've known that's what he was up to. He was going on and on about a way to help Dean, but I wanted to come up here. I should've listened to him. I would've figured it out if I had just listened to him…"

"He's ok, I think," Sam said. "And I knew what he was doing and I didn't try very hard to stop him, so this isn't on you. If he's hurt, then it's on me."

"Sam, you can't control Alec. He's got a mind of his own and if you tell him no, then he'll just do it faster," Ben said.

"He was just worried about Dean," Sam said. "I'm worried about him too…"

"Me too," Ben admitted. "I've been praying for him. I know if I pray hard enough, she'll save him." He looked up at the statue of the Blue Lady as more tears slipped from his eyes and fell down his cheeks. He'd do whatever it took. He wished he could make a sacrifice to her, but he had two brothers he needed to look out for.

"I was actually looking for you to see if you'd check on Alec. I think he's ok, but you know him best and he gave a lot of blood," Sam said.

"Yeah, I'll check on him," Ben said.

"Good, because I'm afraid he's going to wake up and think he can give Dean more blood," Sam said.

Ben smiled, "He wouldn't do that, but he'll be happy to see us."

Sam nodded, so they both stood up and walked back to Dean's room. Alec was passed out on the cot when they got there, actually looking more peaceful than he had since the beginning of summer. He didn't really want to wake his brother, but he did want to make sure he was ok. He looked pretty pale, and when he put his hand against Alec's forehead, he didn't wake up and his skin was freezing.

"Alec," Ben whispered, shaking Alec's shoulder. "Alec…"

Alec frowned and groaned before his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks and he slowly woke up. "Wha'…"

"Alec, it's me," Ben said. "You ok?"

"'M alright," Alec mumbled. He turned his head on his pillow and started to fall asleep again.

"Alec, don't fall asleep yet," Ben said. "I wanna make sure you're ok."

Alec mumbled incoherently into his pillow. Ben shook his head and just grabbed Alec's wrist. He just needed to check his pulse and make sure his temperature wasn't too low, and then he'd leave his brother alone for a while. He sighed when he felt Alec's racing pulse. He'd overdone it giving Dean blood, but he wasn't going to go into shock so it was ok.

"Ok, I think you're gonna be fine," Ben said.

"Told you," Alec slurred back.

"Alec, me and Ben are gonna walk around," Sam said. "You gonna be ok?"

"Mmmhmm," Alec hummed.

Ben gently ruffled his hair before he stood up and followed Sam out of the room. "Are we really going to walk around?" Ben asked him.

"Sure," Sam said with a shrug. "As long as you think Alec's gonna be ok, then it might be good to walk around for a little bit."

"Ok," Ben said with a small smile. It would be good to walk around for a while, and by the time they got back, Alec would probably be awake again. And the Blue Lady would protect his brothers, he knew she would.

* * *

He didn't know how long it had been since Ben and Sam had checked on him, but they weren't in Dean's room now. Alec pushed himself up, slowly, so he wouldn't black out. He'd given Dean too much blood, he knew that, but he wanted to help Dean.

He still wanted to help Dean, but he knew better. He was dizzy just sitting up, and he really needed to get it together before Dad and Uncle Bobby got back. They would really yell at him for what he did if they found out. It would be a miracle if Ben or Sam didn't tell on him.

It would all be worth it though if Dean woke up. No one would be mad at him because they'd be so happy that Dean was awake. He'd be happy too and he wouldn't care if he still got yelled at.

Maybe he needed another juice box…he needed some sugar or some protein or something so he could get back on his feet. He could also use another blanket; he was freezing since he'd given too much blood. He couldn't get up though since he was going to pass out if he got up.

The room was spinning so he decided to lie back down. Maybe if he slept for a little bit longer, Dad and Bobby wouldn't notice as much. Maybe they would think he'd just worried himself sick; it wasn't that far of a stretch since he _was_ worried sick about his big brother. He'd just have to find a way to spin it so they believed it and so Sam and Ben wouldn't tell on him.

He was planning out his little lie when he heard someone gag, and then start to choke. It took him a full two seconds to figure out it was Dean. But honestly, Dean had been unconscious for a long time, so it made sense that his first thought when someone was choking wasn't his big brother.

But as soon as he figured it out he sprung to his feet. The room tipped though, and blacked out before he could get to Dean. He'd moved too fast and he was paying for it. He thought he might throw up, but he forced that feeling away; Dean needed help and he was the only one there. Except, he didn't know how to help Dean.

"Help!" Alec yelled as loudly as he could. Calling for help was a last resort, but no one else was around and Dean needed help. "Help!"

He quickly pushed himself up and forced himself to stand. He needed the nurse to focus on Dean, and if he was on the floor, she'd go to him first.

He took a deep breath and focused to get himself back under control. As soon as the room came back into focus he ran over to Dean's side. His big brother was choking on the tube down his throat and he wanted to help him.

Luckily, the nurse came in before he had to yell again. He was gently pushed aside as the nurse took care of Dean. He thought he'd get to talk to Dean as soon as the tube was out of his throat, but more nurses bustled in, and then doctors. Dean was bombarded by people and he was just in the background, forced to wait his turn to get to his brother.

From what he could tell, the doctors wanted to run tests on Dean and take him all over the hospital. They were arguing with each other, unable to agree on what they should do first. He was getting angry; he didn't like being treated like he was just some dumb kid. He didn't like being pushed aside, especially when someone he cared about was hurt. And he really didn't like doctors. If Dean was awake, then he should get to talk to his big brother.

"Hey!" Alec yelled to be heard over the arguing. The doctors all stopped and turned to look at him. He glared back and growled, "I wanna talk to my brother."

"Son, your brother has been through-"

"Shut up!" Alec cut off. "My Dad's not here right now and you can't do anything without his permission because he's still a minor. So unless Dean is in danger of dying right this second, I think you should all get the Hell outta here so I can talk to my big brother!"

One of the doctors turned and whispered to the nurse, telling her not to go far and to page him in a few minutes. Alec glared at the guy, but he did get his way so he didn't go on another rant.

Dean gave him the most pathetic smile he'd ever seen once all the doctors were gone, but he was so happy to see Dean awake and alive that he didn't even care how pathetically tired Dean looked. He had thought he was going to lose his big brother, and he never wanted to think that again.

"Hey kiddo," Dean said weakly, his voice rough.

Alec ran over to Dean and held onto his hand. He was planning on never letting go if he could help it. Tears sprung up without his permission; he was usually tough shit, that's what his Dad said anyway, but Dean had been really close to dying. He could feel it, he'd almost lost his big brother. "Dean, I was so scared you were gonna die," Alec whispered, his voice choked with tears. One slipped free, which opened the floodgates for the rest. Before he knew it, he was crying like he was a baby.

"C'mere," Dean slurred. Alec carefully got up onto Dean's bed and lay down next to him. He was careful not to touch him since he didn't want to hurt him, but Dean weakly pulled him closer. He felt better being able to feel his brother's warmth and hear his heart beating in his chest. "'M not goin' anywhere."

"Good. I don't know what we'd do without you," Alec said honestly, hiccupping slightly. His tears were falling onto Dean's shoulder, but his big brother didn't seem to care. "I'm sorry I was mad at you. I promise I'm not mad anymore."

"Eve'ythin's al'ight…" Dean breathed out, his eyes slipping shut.

Alec snuggled against Dean's shoulder, feeling better than he had in days. He'd give all his blood if he had to, if his brothers needed it. He didn't want to ever lose them. They were a family, and family stuck together.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	23. Chapter 23

_It was confusing at first; he was watching what was happening to himself and it freaked him out. He was having some kind of near death experience and it was probably the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him. Dad was trying so hard to keep him alive and Sam was holding onto his hand and sobbing, repeating 'please don't die Dean, please don't die.' He wanted to come back to them and reassure them that he was ok. But he was stuck just watching what was going on._

 _He tried to tell them not to worry, but they couldn't hear him. He yelled and screamed, but nothing. So, he stood and watched as the paramedics took him away. He groaned when they intubated him; he hated it when they did that. But they couldn't hear him either. He was helpless as he watched them try to keep him alive. He coded on the way to the hospital, which really did not feel good. It felt like he was weak, or that he was fading or something._

 _But he didn't die on the way to the hospital and he didn't die during surgery. He only knew that because he didn't fade away completely. He'd tried to watch what was going on for a while, but it was gross and made him really, really uncomfortable. They had cut into him and had their hands inside his chest, throwing in stitches, suctioning blood, burning his insides. It was horrible to watch and made him sick to his stomach._

 _He liked being in the waiting room better anyway. His little brothers showed up, running into the waiting room and making him feel better. He'd missed them so much; Alec's ridiculous jokes and pranking and Ben's steady, calming presence. He wanted to scoop them up and hug them as tightly as he could and never let go._

 _And then he immediately wanted to yell at them and make them eat something. Bobby had said he couldn't get them to eat; he knew they were worried about him, but they needed to eat. But they weren't listening to him either. It almost seemed like Alec knew he was there, but he didn't answer him. He would just kind of frown in his direction and cock his head slightly before he'd look away again._

 _He nearly broke when Alec begged him to stay with them and apologized for being mad at him for not calling. He wanted to tell his little brother that he was sorry for not calling and that it was ok if he was mad at him. He'd make it up to him later. He'd get him ice cream or take him out to shoot at cans; anything to make it up to him._

 _He got mad again when Alec and Ben refused to sleep. They needed him; he needed to get them to eat and to sleep. They would listen to him; they always listened to him. But he glowed with pride when Sammy stepped up and took charge. Alec and Ben responded to whoever was in charge, even if they didn't want to do something._

 _For the most part, it was really boring watching himself. He was in a coma or something, and the doctors didn't think he was going to make it. He wished the doctor wouldn't talk about how grim his outlook was in front of his brothers. They didn't need to hear that, and it just worried them more. But Alec talked to him nonstop; he wasn't even really talking about anything, but he was the funniest kid he knew. Alec told him all about staying at Bobby's and had him laughing even when the doctors were being pessimistic._

 _He was almost positive that Alec knew he was here. He just wished he could get through to his little brother and tell him that he was alight. But even though Alec seemed to know he was there, he still didn't answer any of his questions. He would just look over at him every so often to make sure he was still there._

 _He smiled when Sam started talking to him too. Sam didn't seem to think he was really there, but he did start talking to him. He told him about the boys, telling him that they were taller than they used to be. He had agreed and it made him sad to think about the time he'd missed with them. The boys weren't going to be kids forever, and he didn't want to miss a single minute with them. He needed to wake up and be with his family again._

 _He could feel himself getting weaker as the days wore on. He didn't know how he could snap out of it though. He needed a miracle or something. The doctors didn't know what else they could do for him, except make him as comfortable as they could. He wanted to get back to his family. He wanted to wake up and get back in his body, but he didn't know how._

 _He flipped out though when Alec took matters into his own hands. He knew Alec was going to do something eventually, but he had a small hope that he'd wake up before that happened. Alec decided his blood would help save him, but Alec was too small to give blood. Sam even told him that, but he wasn't listening. Once he got something into his head, he just wouldn't stop._

 _Alec was too much like him. He wanted to help him, and he was convinced that he could. He didn't care if this hurt himself as long as it helped his big brother._

 _Even though he was completely against what Alec was doing, he could still feel the effects of his blood. He started to feel stronger almost immediately, so maybe this wasn't a mistake. But then Alec collapsed when he got up. He ran to his brother, but he couldn't do anything to help him. Sam took care of everything though. He got Alec to lay down and got him a pillow, blanket, and a juice box. He breathed out in relief when Sam remembered his pills too. Alec having seizures was the worst thing he'd ever seen, and he never wanted it to happen again._

 _He watched over Alec when Sam left, but he could feel himself disappearing again. He didn't want to disappear. He needed to stay and watch over his little brothers. He didn't want to die. He wanted to stay!_

 _Next thing he knew, he was choking. He could feel the crushing pain in his chest, which he hadn't thought about since he'd been conscious. He was back in his body! He wasn't dead; he was alive! Alec had saved his life. He wasn't going to abandon his brothers._

 _He didn't know what was going on though. He wasn't choking anymore, but there were a lot of people around that he didn't know. Where was Alec? Where'd his little brother go?_

 _Alec shouted suddenly and somehow made everyone leave. He was so tired, but he wanted to make sure Alec was still ok._

 _He smiled at his little brother when he saw him again. He tried to reassure Alec that everything was going to be ok, but it was hard to talk. Alec seemed to understand him though, since he crawled up next to him. Alec was crying, which Alec rarely did. His little brother was tough shit and he rarely let them know when he was hurt or scared. He covered it up with jokes and sarcasm just like he did. He tried to pull Alec closer and reassure him some more._

 _He couldn't stay awake any longer, but Alec had calmed down some and was snuggled against him now. He knew his brother would be able to fall asleep again since he was lying next to him. He was always able to fall asleep when he was next to someone. He figured he could sleep too. He'd wake up again when all of his brothers were back. He wanted to make sure they were ok too. But for now, he would sleep._

* * *

"Alec," Ben hissed when he saw his brother lying on the bed next to Dean. "Alec, get off of Dean's bed." He walked over to Alec and shook his shoulder, but his twin was fast asleep. There were tear stains on his cheeks that had pooled onto Dean's hospital gown. His heart dropped, fearing the worst. Alec wouldn't cry unless something was really wrong. He couldn't even think that Dean could be gone. He needed Dean. Dean made everything make sense.

They hadn't even been gone for an hour! How could everything fall to pieces in less than an hour? He should have staying in the chapel and kept praying. Dean was gone now because of him.

"Ben! Look," Sam yelled in excitement, pointing to Dean.

He looked to his big brother, trying to see what Sam was excited about. His eyes widened and he gasped when he saw that the tube was no longer down Dean's throat. Dean wasn't gone! Dean had been awake! "He woke up!" Ben said with a wide smile. "Sam! He woke up!"

"Alec's blood worked!" Sam said. "I can't believe it worked!"

"Should we call Dad and Bobby?" Ben asked, shaking Alec's shoulder again. He wanted his brother to wake up so he could tell them what happened. But Alec was out. He hadn't been sleeping very well, and then on top of that, he'd just given a ton of blood. It wasn't that surprising that he was asleep and he wasn't waking up. He just wished he would. He wanted to celebrate with his brother.

"Yeah, we should call them and tell them that we think Dean woke up," Sam said. "At the very least we should tell them that they took the tube outta his throat." Sam walked towards the door, but turned and said, "I'll be right back. Keep trying to get Alec to wake up."

"Alec, c'mon brother, wake up and tell me what happened," Ben said. Usually he couldn't get Alec to stop talking, but as soon as he wanted Alec to tell him something, he wouldn't. His brother could really get on his nerves sometimes, but he wouldn't trade him for the world. "Alec, this is a free pass. You can talk as long as you want and I won't tell you to stop."

"He awake?" Sam asked as he walked back in.

"No, he's out," Ben muttered. "He hasn't been sleeping really, and then with giving blood…he just needs some rest."

"He'll be ok," Sam reassured. "Dad and Bobby are on the way."

"He'll probably wake up once they get here," Ben said.

"You really think Dean woke up?" Sam asked, concern creeping back into his voice.

"The tube's out and he's still breathing…either he woke up or the doctors decided he had a good enough chance to make it to breathe on his own," Ben said, trying to think it through. But the doctors had never given them very optimistic updates on Dean's condition. "I know he woke up, Sam. Think about the updates we've gotten…they've never said he could come off the ventilator. He had to wake up for them to think he was gonna make it."

Sam took a deep breath and let it out, but then he nodded. "I just wish Alec would wake up so he could tell us for sure what happened."

"He'll wake up," Ben said, sounding more hopeful than sure. He really wanted Alec to wake up, not only because he wanted to know what was going on, but also because it felt off when Alec wasn't talking. Alec didn't even have to be talking to make him feel better, but if he was awake, then he was usually talking. "He has to wake up," Ben whispered to himself. Alec was the most important person in the world to him. He had a family now, but Alec knew what he'd been through. Alec knew what he had done. Alec understood him. He couldn't lose his brother.

"Ben, you ok?" Sam asked.

He shook himself and nodded. "Fine…I just wish they would both wake up."

"They will," Sam said.

* * *

John was nearly running to his son's room once they got back to the hospital. He shouldn't have left, but the floor was killing his back and he wanted to get a couple hours of sleep before he started sitting around and worrying again. He'd tried to get his boys to come too, but they wouldn't leave their older brother.

He understood why they wouldn't leave, but they needed a break from the constant worry. Alec and Ben weren't eating; his boys were losing weight they couldn't afford to lose since they were so little already and their metabolisms were so fast. And Sam…Sam had the worst look in his eyes every time he looked at Dean. He could see his little boy relive that moment over and over again, and it was killing him. They needed Dean just as much, or even more, than he did.

He counted on Dean to take care of the boys, and he did so without question. The twins knew what to expect with Dean and they trusted him. He needed Dean to watch over the boys while he looked for the thing that killed Mary.

"John, hold up," Bobby called after him.

He forced himself to slow down so Bobby could catch up. "Sam said he woke up," John said even though he'd told him that about a hundred times already. "I gotta see if he really woke up or not."

"If he did wake up, he's probably not still awake now," Bobby pointed out. "He'd only be able to stay awake for a minute or two at most, so we can take it a little slower. Besides, we don't wanna freak out the boys."

John didn't say anything, but he did slow down. His boys were freaked out enough as it was; he didn't want to add to it.

"Dad!" Ben called out as soon as he saw him. He'd only been gone for a few hours, but it still felt good to hear his son's excitement when he saw him again. He picked Ben up and carried him back into the room. "Dad, we think Dean woke up," Ben said. "Alec was here, but he's asleep now so we can't ask him what happened. But, they took the tube out."

He gave Ben a good squeeze before he set him back down. He saw that what Ben had said was true; the tube was out of Dean's throat, and Alec was fast asleep next to him. He wasn't so sure if Alec should really be sleeping next to Dean like that, but he wanted to check on Dean before he moved Alec. He slowly walked over to Dean and carefully put his hand on his forehead. He couldn't really tell if Dean was any better or not, but it was good to see him breathing by himself again.

"You think Alec should be sleepin' next to him like that?" John asked, looking back at Bobby.

"Let the boy sleep," Bobby whispered. "He needs it."

"Should I go get the doctor so we can find out what's going on?" Sam asked. "Alec won't wake up."

"Won't wake up or just doesn't want to?" John asked.

"Won't wake up," Ben answered, his voice soft.

John shifted over to Alec and put his hand on his youngest son's forehead. "Shit, he's freezing…and he's pretty pale. His freckles are really standing out…"

"Maybe he just worried himself sick?" Bobby asked more than suggested. "Or, the kid was exhausted. That, and with him not eating might've messed up his system and now he's tryin' to recover."

John looked at Sam and Ben to see if they were on the verge of collapsing. They looked tired and worried, but not as bad as Alec. Ben looked away from him and bit his lip, while Sam shifted his weight from foot to foot. His boys were hiding something from him. "What happened?" John demanded. Ben gave a little squeak of surprise at his sudden change in tone, but he needed to know what was going on. "Ben, do you know what happened?"

"Yes sir," Ben whispered, his head still down.

"What was it?" Bobby gently prodded before he could order his son to tell him.

"Alec was just trying to help," Ben tried to defend his brother. "And I think he did help Dean, but I think he went too far…"

"What did he do?" John couldn't help but growl. Alec was his baby. The kid drove him nuts most of the time with his constant talking, but he was also the funniest kid he knew and one of the toughest. He didn't know what he'd do without Alec. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost any of his boys.

"He gave Dean blood," Ben said as fast as he could, hoping that he wouldn't understand him.

But he did. Alec had given Dean blood. And he felt like the worst father in the world, but part of him was grateful that he had. The other part was furious that Alec had done that without an adult around. He gave too much blood and he'd hurt himself trying to save Dean.

"He what?" It was Bobby's turn to growl. Bobby didn't know about when he'd first found them and Alec had given Ben blood. He wanted to be furious too, but it made sense. He could see his son's reasoning behind what he did and he must have actually helped Dean since they'd taken the tube out.

"He gave Dean blood," Sam suddenly jumped in. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"But it's not Sam's fault," Ben said to defend Sam. "Alec does whatever he wants all the time, especially if it means he can help someone he cares about."

"He's too little to give blood," Bobby explained to the boys. "He could've really hurt himself doing this."

"I told him that," Sam said.

John couldn't say anything; he was torn between being mad and being proud of his boy and he knew that wouldn't go over well with his old friend. Instead, he carefully picked Alec up and held him close. He needed to grab a blanket, and then he would sit in the recliner that Sam had been using. He would hold Alec and let him sleep just like he did when his boy had cleaned out Bobby's kitchen.

He froze though and quickly turned when Sam gasped. Dean groaned and barely opened his green eyes. "Alec?" Dean breathed out in confusion, looking where Alec had been before.

"Hey kiddo," John said, holding Alec with one arm and brushing Dean's hair off his forehead with his other.

"Can you put Alec back?" Dean slurred. "He's worried…"

"We're all worried, Dean," John pointed out. "Alec can sleep with me for a while."

"Dad…please," Dean breathed.

He looked over to Bobby, who nodded reassuringly back. "Alright, but only until the doctors come check on you," John said, caving in. He carefully laid Alec back down, who instantly snuggled against his big brother.

"Dad?" Ben asked softly, tugging on his jacket sleeve.

"Yeah buddy?" John asked back.

"Can me and Sammy lay by Dean too?"

He looked to his oldest, who quickly nodded back. "Sure thing," John responded. He picked Ben up and set him on the edge of the bed while Sam sat on Dean's other side. "You ok, kiddo?" He asked Dean.

Dean looked pretty happy now; he still looked like he was on death's door, but he was definitely happier with his brothers around. "Yeah…feel better already…"

* * *

 _More soon..._


	24. Chapter 24

"Ok Henley boys, it's time to hop up," Nurse Cathy said as she walked in. "I've got to change Dean's dressings, and then they need him for some more tests."

"Can we go too?" Alec asked as he slowly got up from Dean's bed. Ben was in front of him so he was able to reach out and steady himself without the nurse seeing. He was still dizzy and unsteady on his feet, but he felt like he had more energy than before. He was sleeping a lot more than what was normal for him and he was a lot colder now, but he wasn't dead to the world.

He'd gotten chewed out when he'd finally woken up. He figured out that Dad and Bobby were just worried about him, but it still stung. He didn't like getting yelled at, especially since what he did saved Dean. But apparently he'd been asleep for a long time and they couldn't get him to wake up when they shook his shoulder or even when they picked him up and moved him. He didn't remember any of that, but it was scary to think that he might not have woken up at all. Maybe he had gone too far with giving Dean blood, but he didn't regret it.

"Not this time, sweetie," Nurse Cathy said.

"What kind of tests are they?" Ben asked.

"We're going to get a white blood count and MRI first, and then we're going to do some tests on his heart," Nurse Cathy replied.

"Does he need to be awake?" Alec asked. "Does Dad need to be here? He's down at the cafeteria with Sammy and Uncle Bobby, we could go get him."

"No, your Dad already said it was ok," she said. "I caught him before he went down to get some food."

"Are you sure we can't go too? I'm bored," Alec complained.

"Well, it looks to me that you've got an afternoon of the TV to yourself," she said with a wink. "That doesn't sound too bad, does it?"

"I think I'd like to go with Dean instead," Alec grumbled under his breath. Ben elbowed him, so he shut up. He was on thin ice with his brother too.

"Will Dean be back in time for dinner?" Ben asked. "We were going to grab a bunch of food from the cafeteria and have dinner with him."

"I think he'll be back in time for dinner," Cathy said. She started changing Dean's bandages while she talked. "We aren't too backed up today, so he should be able to get in pretty quick."

"How long until Dean gets to leave?" Alec asked.

"It's going to be a while. He had a very serious trauma," Cathy said. "But he will be moved from the ICU pretty soon and up to the rehab floor."

"Will you still be Dean's nurse?" Ben asked in concern.

"I'll check in on him, but he's going to have a new set of nurses," Cathy replied. "Dr. Parlo will still be his doctor though. Do you remember what I said he specializes in?"

"Cardio thoracic surgery," Ben quickly answered. Alec rolled his eyes; Ben was such a goody-two-shoes, it was annoying sometimes.

Cathy smiled, "That's right." She finished changes Dean's bandages and said, "Ok, Dean's going to come with me now. I'll bring him back later." She went to the hall and grabbed another nurse and a different bed before she came back. Cathy and the other nurse moved Dean onto the other bed, and then left the room.

"I wanted to go with them," Alec said once they were gone. He was pouting just a little bit, but he thought he could get away with it this time.

"C'mon, we can watch TV until they bring him back in," Ben said, getting back onto Dean's bed.

"I don't want to watch TV," Alec grumbled.

"Seriously?" Ben asked, surprised. "You always want to watch TV."

"Not this time," Alec said.

"Well, you need to sit down. I don't want you passing out again," Ben said. He turned on the TV anyway, so he glared at his brother.

"I'm not going to pass out again. That was just an accident," Alec argued. "I got up to fast and I was only down for a second."

"Lucky thing Sam caught you," Ben said, ignoring him. "Otherwise you'd probably be in a hospital bed too."

"Shut up," Alec ordered. He didn't like Ben saying all these things. It was like he was making fun of him or calling him weak and he wanted him to stop.

"It's true," Ben said.

"I'm going to go exploring," Alec said, turning for the door.

"Alec, Dad said we needed to stay in Dean's room," Ben reminded. "He didn't want you walking around for that long."

Alec growled, "I'm not a baby. You all are acting like I can't even feed myself. No one even said good job to me for saving Dean's life! You do know I'm the only reason he woke up, right?"

Ben glared at him, "You risked your own life to do it! We're all worried about you because we don't know how much you gave or what you might do next! You didn't think before you acted!"

"I wanted Dean back and I knew it would work!" Alec yelled. "Besides, you can't tell me what to do! We're not in Manticore anymore!"

"That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!" Ben shouted back. Instead of arguing more, Alec turned and walked out of the room. "Alec, where are you going?" Ben called after him.

"None of your business," Alec grumbled. He huffed when he heard footsteps running up behind him, and then his brother was walking side by side with him.

"Alec, let's go to the cafeteria," Ben said. "Maybe Bobby will take us to get ice cream or something."

"No, I don't want to," Alec said.

"Where are we going then?" Ben asked. At least he gave up trying to stop him pretty easily.

"I just want to look around. This floor is incredibly boring and I want to see what else is in a hospital," Alec said. "Y'know, the infirmary at Manticore wasn't all that much like a hospital…"

Ben nodded, but then said, "It still smells the same…"

"Yeah, but the nurses are nice, the sharp instruments are hidden, and the beds don't have restraints on them," Alec said. He walked down the hall and headed for the elevator.

"Some of the beds have restraints on them," Ben said quietly.

Alec frowned, he hadn't seen any of those. "Really? Which ones?"

Ben shrugged, "I saw some while I was in the chapel." He brightened suddenly and asked, "Do you want to go to the chapel? I could teach you how to pray to the Blue Lady."

"Pass," Alec instantly replied. "I wanna do something fun." _And that's real._

"Alec-"

"Don't even start with that whole spiel about how she protects us and got us to our family. I don't believe it, ok?" Alec said. "If she's real and is so good and everything, then why does Manticore exist? And why were we taken away from our family in the first place?"

"You have to make sacrifices to her to get into The Good Place," Ben said.

He didn't like the sound of that, but he said, "We were babies. We couldn't make a sacrifice then."

"She helped us escape," Ben said, ignoring his logic.

He shot a look over at his twin, and decided to change the subject when he saw the look in his eyes. "How long do you think Dean will have to stay in the hospital?"

"Probably a long time," Ben said. "Alec…where are we going?"

"Down," Alec said simply. He and Ben had gotten on the elevator without his twin even realizing it.

"We could go to the gift shop," Ben suggested. "As long as you don't steal anything…"

"Then why would we even bother…" Alec mumbled.

"Alec, you shouldn't steal!" Ben hissed.

"And I knew you wouldn't approve of my extracurricular activities, so we aren't going to the gift shop," Alec pointed out.

"Then where are we going?" Ben stressed.

"If I tell you, then you'll try to stop me," Alec said.

"Then we should probably just go back to Dean's room. It sounds like you have a bad idea and you know how much trouble you got into last time when you had a bad idea," Ben said.

"It's too late, Ben," Alec said. "We're already on our way."

"To what?" Ben grumbled.

Alec smirked and darted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Ben called after him, but he took off down the hall to make him follow. He slowed down so he could peek in the rooms, but so far there wasn't anything interesting.

"Alec, slow down. I know you still get dizzy," Ben said, catching up to him.

"I'm fine," Alec waved off. His eyes widened in interest when he saw a door that said 'Morgue'. "Hey, check it out," he said, hitting Ben's chest and pointing to the door.

"Alec, no," Ben said. He grabbed his arm and tried to tug him back, but he wanted to see what was inside. He knew there could be actual dead bodies in there, but he wanted to see what a morgue looked like. He'd seen dead bodies before, but he'd never been in a morgue. He was curious.

"I just wanna look inside," Alec said, pulling against his brother. "Have you ever seen a morgue before?"

"No, and I don't want to," Ben said.

"They could be doing an autopsy. Don't you want to just take a real quick peek?" Alec asked. "We'll just look, and then I'll go back to Dean's room, ok? I'll even take a nap if it'll make you feel better."

"Alec," Ben whined.

"C'mon, it'll only take a second," Alec said. He walked over to the door, and Ben went with him. Ben always went with him no matter how much he didn't want to do whatever he was doing. He pushed open the swinging door, but took a step back when the smell of chemicals hit him. He quickly covered his nose and saw that Ben was doing the same. "That's a strong smell…" Alec muttered.

"Can we go?" Ben asked, tugging on his arm again.

The morgue was more like how he imagined the hospital. It was all stainless steel and smelled even worse than the main part of the hospital. There were tables throughout the room and sinks around two of the walls and the other wall was lined with boxes. He gasped when he saw the sheet covering something on one of the tables. He knew it was a body…

He slowly started over to it, but he froze suddenly when he felt like something wasn't right. He couldn't describe the feeling, but he'd felt it before. He'd felt it on hunts with his family and he'd felt something similar when Dean had been in a coma.

"Ben…" Alec whispered. He looked over at his brother and saw that his eyes were wide and he was scanning the room like something was in there with them. It felt bad…

"Alec, let's get outta here," Ben said.

He agreed and slowly backed up at the same time Ben did. They both gasped when medical instruments fell off a table and clattered onto the floor. Ben grabbed his arm, but instead of just pulling him to the door, he pulled him back and stood protectively in front of him.

A man appeared across the room; he was tall and gangly, with wildly curly hair and big, dark eyes. He looked funny since his pants were too short and his shirt was too big, but he was scary too. He was glaring at them, his eyes darting between them.

The hair on the back of his neck was standing up and he had goosebumps, he was so freaked out. This guy wasn't like the other ghosts they had hunted. He felt stronger than the others. And this was the first time they'd faced a ghost without their family with them. They didn't have any weapons either, which was going to make protecting themselves nearly impossible.

"You're not supposed to be here," the ghost said. "You're too little. You're breaking the rules." The guy focused on Ben and he said, "You know. You know you're not supposed to be here. You know the rules and you follow the rules." His eyes moved to him; a shiver shot through him at the look in his eyes. "You know, but you don't follow the rules. You're bad. You don't want to follow the rules. You break them on purpose."

He took a step behind Ben. He usually didn't back down from a fight, but this guy seriously scared him.

"Alec, go," Ben barely whispered. "I'll distract this time."

"Ben-"

"No, he doesn't like you," Ben said.

He wasn't going to leave his brother, but the ghost was getting even more agitated. He was yelling about how he broke the rules and he needed to follow them. If a ghost could get red in the face, then this one would.

"You don't listen! You don't follow the rules!" The ghost yelled. "Rule breakers get punished! You need to be punished!"

His eyes widened when he was suddenly thrown off his feet. He hit one of the metal tables hard, before he slid off and landed on the floor in a heap. He quickly pushed himself up though and looked around for the ghost and his brother. He didn't see the ghost, but he did see Ben a few feet away. He'd been thrown off his feet too, but he hadn't gotten back up yet.

"Ben!" Alec called out, running over to him. If he could, he was going to get Ben out of there before the ghost came back. He hated that Ben was right again, and that it was his fault again. Everything he did was wrong. He shook Ben's shoulder and begged, "Ben please wake up. We need to get outta here. Please wake up." He breathed out in relief when his brother's eyes slowly opened. "Ben, c'mon, we gotta hurry."

Ben's eyes narrowed, and he had to scramble back when his brother shot up. "You broke the rules! You need to be punished!" Ben yelled at him.

"Ben?" He breathed out, right before Ben attacked him.

He tried to hold his brother off; he tried to defend himself, but he didn't want to hurt Ben. But something was wrong with Ben. He usually lost to his brother when they sparred, but Ben felt stronger than usual and he knew he couldn't fight him off. But he couldn't just lay there and get his ass kicked. He blocked Ben's punches, but Ben grabbed his left wrist and twisted, snapping his bones. His brother slammed his head against the ground, making him see double. He dropped his arms as his vision started to blur. The last thing he saw was his brothers fist headed towards him.

* * *

Cathy got Dean settled again; he was starting to come around, so she looked to see if she could find his brothers. His first question was going to be where his brothers were. She was concerned to find that Alec and Ben were nowhere to be seen. She knew their father liked for them to stay close, but those boys had too much energy. If Dean wasn't around, then they usually couldn't be found.

Dean groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the room until his eyes landed on her. "Where're my brothers?" Dean asked, his voice slightly slurred.

"Well, I believe they went exploring again," Cathy said. "I'm sure they'll turn up again soon." Dean nodded and relaxed again. She got him another blanket and put it across his legs when her pager went off. She frowned, seeing that there was an emergency down in the morgue. She couldn't fathom what kind of emergency had happened in the morgue, and there was no reason for them to be paging her. "Dean, press the call button if you need something, ok?"

He nodded again, but he didn't seem concerned.

She stopped by the desk to make sure someone knew they needed to watch out for Dean while she went down to see what was going on. It was probably just a mistake, but she couldn't ignore a page.

She made her way down to the morgue and slowly walked over to the group of doctors and nurses that were kneeling next to someone.

Dr. Parlo popped up and quickly motioned her closer.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"It's one of the Henley boys," Dr. Parlo said. "I can't tell them apart…"

Her heart dropped; something had happened to one of the twins. She ran over to the group and crouched beside the boy. Her eyes filled with tears seeing his face bloody and bruised; he was hardly recognizable. "What happened?" She asked, grabbing his little hand with her own.

"Someone just found him like this," Dr. Parlo said. "Do you know which one it is?"

She had to look at his clothes to figure out if it was Ben or Alec since his face was messed up. But she recognized the faded red flannel; Alec was wearing the red flannel today. "It's Alec," she whispered.

"We need to get him into surgery if we're going to save his eye," a female doctor said.

"We'll need an MRI before we take him. His jaw might be broken…"

"I've got a broken wrist."

"He could have a brain bleed."

"Cathy, call for a team to meet us here and call the cops and tell them that a little boy was found here and has been attacked," Dr. Parlo said. "Then find Mr. Henley and tell him that something has happened and his son is in surgery. He's going to ask a lot of questions, but only tell him which son it is and that you don't have any more information than the fact that he's in surgery. Once he's calm, come find us to give him an update."

She nodded that she understood. She gave Alec's hand one last squeeze before she stood up and went into action.

* * *

Bobby wasn't concerned when they got back to Dean's room and the twins weren't there. Dean was there, but he was just started to wake up again. John was next to his oldest son, helping him through the confusion that came every time he woke up. The doctor thought that would pass eventually, so for now they didn't need to be worried.

Sam was sitting at Dean's feet while he hung out in the corner, waiting for what John wanted him to do. He wasn't sure if they were going to go back to the motel for a while, or if they were going to wait for the twins to appear again.

Alec and Ben had started exploring when Dean wasn't around. If their older brother was there, then they wouldn't leave his side. Alec had a loyalty to Dean that amazed him. The only thing stronger than Alec's loyalty to Dean, was Alec's loyalty to Ben. The twins were inseparable now; they had split up when they were at his house, but it had never been for very long. He knew they'd been through a very traumatic childhood, but now he couldn't imagine how they could've been separated for nine years before they found each other.

All four of them looked up when Cathy suddenly ran in. She looked frazzled and she was out of breath, but she quickly composed herself when she saw them.

"I thought you were in the cafeteria…" Cathy breathed out. "I've been looking everywhere for you…"

"What's wrong? Somethin' happen with Dean's tests?" Bobby asked.

Cathy shook her head, "Um, Mr. Henley…something's happened. Alec's been hurt very badly and they're taking him to surgery right now."

"What?!" John asked in panic. "What happened? How did he get hurt?"

"I'm sorry, but that's all I know," Cathy said. "They paged me so I could identify him and to let you know."

"He's going into surgery?" John asked breathlessly. Sam and Dean both looked at John, but they didn't say anything.

"Yes, and I'll try to update when I can," Cathy said. "Just know that I do not have all the answers."

"Whatever you can give us will help," Bobby said.

Cathy nodded and started to leave, but John stopped her. "Where's Ben? Is he with Alec? Was he hurt too?"

Cathy frowned, "Ben wasn't there…"

Bobby had felt panic when Cathy told them Alec was hurt, but now his heart stopped. If Ben wasn't with Alec, but Alec was hurt…something had taken Ben.

"Ben's missing," John whispered, coming to the same conclusion.

"Mr. Henley," Cathy said in a soothing voice. "Alec and Ben don't always explore together. He could be in the chapel right now. Alec doesn't usually go to the chapel with him."

"Alec's hurt, which means he was protecting his brother. Ben would be with Alec if his twin was hurt, so that means whoever hurt Alec took Ben," John said.

Cathy stared at them for a moment, probably trying to decide if they were being serious or not. She finally nodded and said, "I'll call it in."

* * *

 _More soon..._


	25. Chapter 25

Dean felt useless as Dad and Bobby discussed how they were going to find Ben. He couldn't do anything to help Alec while he was in surgery and he couldn't do anything to help find Ben. The worst part was, he was too tired to even try to get out of bed or even pretend that he could be of any help. His chest was killing him, but he needed to know his brothers were ok before he did anything else.

"Dad, what about Alec?" Sam asked before Dad could leave the room. Dad and Bobby were going to split up to see if they could find Ben and try to cover both exits in case whoever took him was trying to leave.

"Alec's in surgery," Dad said. "I'll try to convince Cathy to bring him here or get her to move Dean wherever they take him. You two will have to look out for him once he gets out of surgery."

"No, Dad, what about the blood they're gonna give him," Dean whispered. Alec had told them a long time ago that he and Ben couldn't have ordinary blood. "He said it would make 'em sick if they had the wrong blood…"

"He's just gonna have to be sick for a while," Dad said. "I can't barge in there and demand they don't give him blood. All I can do is hope they don't run any blood tests on him so we can stay here until you both heal."

"Dad, what if Alec is seriously hurt?" Sam asked.

"Sam, one thing at a time. I can't do anything to help Alec, but I can look for Ben," Dad said. Sam huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn't argue. "I'll be back in two hours if I can't find Ben," Dad said before he left with Bobby right behind him.

"Sam, go see if you can find anything out," Dean said as soon as his Dad was gone. "Just listen in on what the nurses are saying, ok?"

"Ok," Sam said.

"And keep an eye out for Ben," Dean added on before Sam could disappear.

"Obviously," Sam replied, rolling his eyes.

Sam left, and then he was by himself. His chest was killing him and he wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. He had to be awake when they brought Alec back. He didn't know how hurt Alec was going to be, but he was in surgery, so it couldn't be good. And Alec was a cuddle-bug; he wanted to be around his family when he was hurt, and depending how hurt he was, he would need someone to be with him. That didn't even take into account the fact that Ben was missing. Alec would be able to handle any injury thrown at him as long as his twin brother was with him.

"Dean? Where did everyone go?" Cathy asked as she walked back into his room.

"They went to go look for Ben," Dean answered honestly.

"I know this is stressful, but you need to get some rest," Cathy said, checking his stats.

Dean shook his head no, "Not until I know my brothers are safe."

"Honey, Alec's going to be in surgery for a while and I know they're going to find Ben," Cathy tried to reassure.

"How hurt is Alec?" Dean asked softly. He was afraid to hear the answer, but he had to know.

Cathy sat in the chair that Sam usually sat in and reached out to hold his hand, "I don't know exactly how hurt he is and it would be better for the doctors to tell you. But I know for sure that there was an issue with his left eye and he has a few broken bones."

His eyes teared up without his permission hearing some of what had happened to his little brother. He always tried to be strong for his family, but he was alone now and he was hurt. And Alec was the baby of the family, and he hated to see any of his brothers hurt.

"Dean, it's going to be ok," Cathy whispered, her voice choked with her own tears. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together though and said, "Alec is young and I know he's going to pull through."

"Can you make it so he's in my room? Or can you get me moved to wherever he's gonna be?" Dean practically begged. "He's not gonna know what's going on and with Ben missing-"

"I'll do what I can," Cathy cut off. "But I don't see why he can't be in the same room as you and I think Dr. Parlo will agree."

"Do you know how much longer he'll be in surgery?" Dean asked.

"Let me make my rounds, and then I'll check on him again, ok?" Cathy said. He nodded, so she patted his hand and left his room.

He really wanted to get up and find out for himself how Alec was doing, but he knew it was going to be close to impossible to actually get up by himself. He could only sit up because of the bed, but he knew he could do anything once Alec was there.

He dozed off without meaning to, but he instantly woke up again when Cathy came back.

"Dean, Alec's out of surgery," Cathy said. "They're bringing him here now so he can be monitored."

"Did it go ok?" Dean asked, waking up the rest of the way.

Cathy nodded, "They saved his eye, but we won't know if this affected his vision until they take the gauze off. He has a broken wrist, a fractured cheek bone, and his jaw is wired shut. It's going to be a long recovery, but he's ok."

"Do you know if they had to give him any blood?" Dean asked.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't know," Cathy said.

He wanted to ask more questions, but more hospital staff came into his room and rearranged the furniture. His room wasn't supposed to be for two people, but it was larger than most and if they just removed the recliner then Alec's bed should fit.

"He probably won't wake up for a while still, but if I'm not around, you need to push the call button when he does," Cathy said after the staff had left his room again. "He won't know what's going on and he won't be able to talk, so we need to keep him calm so he doesn't hurt himself."

"Ok," Dean said with a determined nod. Alec wasn't going to like not being able to talk, but maybe he would stay calm long enough for him to explain everything to him.

Alec looked so little when they finally brought him in. Gauze covered his left eye, the left side of his face was dark with bruises, and there was a light green cast on his left wrist. Cathy helped get everything set up and said, "They thought green would be a good color for his cast because of his eyes."

"He likes green," Dean whispered. He cleared his throat, and then said, "When they find Ben…he'll draw all over it so Alec won't think it's so boring…"

"They'll find Ben," Cathy tried to reassure. "Your Dad came back to check on you while you were asleep, but he's looking again now."

"They have to find him," Dean muttered.

* * *

Sam had tried to eavesdrop like Dean told him to, but the nurses didn't know what was going on with his brother either. He wanted to know if Alec was ok, but there was nothing he could do to help him. The only thing he could do was look for Ben.

He knew Dean would be pissed if he found out he was looking for Ben on his own. But his brother was missing; someone had taken him and he needed to find him. Dad and Bobby were looking too, but Dad would tell him to stay with Dean if he found them. He wanted to do something useful, and right now, the only thing he could do was look for Ben.

He wasn't really sure where to look, especially since he couldn't imagine who would attack Alec, and then take Ben. His little brothers were strong, so whoever got them was just as strong or stronger. He was having second thoughts about finding Ben and whoever had taken him. He wanted to help his brother, but it wasn't smart to find them by himself. If he did find them, then he had no idea what he was going to do. But he couldn't leave Ben.

He didn't know where to start looking; where would someone hide with an 11-year-old where no one would find them? He looked up and down the hall, and he was surprised to see the sign for the chapel just a few feet away. Ben was always in the chapel, and even though he didn't think his little brother would be in there, he still wanted to go. He wanted to feel closer to his brother, and maybe this would be the best place to think.

He walked into the little chapel and sat down on the wooden pew back by the fake fireplace. It was quiet in the tiny chapel; he was the only one there, but that was ok.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but he didn't want to move. If he moved, then he'd go back to real life. Ben, his kind and caring little brother, had been taken, and Alec, his smart-aleck little brother, was hurt enough to be in surgery. His little brother should never be hurt enough to need surgery. He hated that it was almost normal in their family for two of his brothers to be admitted into the hospital at the same time. He just wanted them to have a normal, safe life. Alec and Ben deserved to have safe for a while, but Dad's version of safe was to ship them off to Bobby's for the summer.

He'd hated being away from his little brothers over the summer. When Alec and Ben had first come into their lives, he'd actually been a little jealous of them. They were getting all of the attention from both Dean and Dad. Since they were there, he no longer mattered. But he'd gotten over that after he'd really gotten to know them.

Alec and Ben could almost always be seen together, but after Alec, he was the one that Ben hung out with the most. They both loved school and they loved to read; they didn't even need to talk when they hung out together. Alec would come in after a while and practically demand they do something else. His little brother claimed he was saving them from dying of boredom when he disrupted their reading.

He missed them all the time, but he really missed them in the Impala. He had gotten used to sharing the backseat with them. He and Ben loved to annoy Alec by making him sit in the middle, but he knew Alec liked it. His little brother could watch where they were going if he and Ben were asleep, he could talk to Dad and Dean if he and Ben weren't paying attention to him, and he could lean on either him or Ben when he was tired. Alec always liked having contact with someone when he slept. He'd told him that he knew this was real and that he wasn't in Manticore if he felt someone next to him.

He didn't know what he would do without his little brothers.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear the small sniffle. He looked around the small room thinking he'd missed someone walking in, but he was still the only one in there. He slowly got up and walked around the room, looking for whoever else was there.

"Hello?" Sam called out when he didn't immediately see anyone.

It was quiet for another minute, but then a small voice choked with tears asked, "Sam?"

He ran to the far corner of the room, where the voice had come from. He maneuvered himself behind the cross and looked behind the piano to find Ben. He was curled up in a ball, two fire irons crossed over him, and with tears streaming down his face. "Ben, are you ok?" Sam asked, dropping to his knees beside his brother.

He reached out to get the fire irons off of him, but Ben grabbed the irons and refused to let go. "No, don't," Ben said. "It's not safe."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"It was me…" Ben whispered.

"What?" Sam asked. He reached out to touch Ben's shoulder, but he immediately pulled away. "Ben, what are you talking about?" Sam repeated.

"It was me…I hurt Alec," Ben sobbed.

His breath caught in his chest, but he couldn't believe it was true. Ben would never hurt Alec. He ignored Ben's protests and pulled his little brother into a hug. "Ben…what do you mean? You wouldn't hurt Alec." Ben was shaking in his arms, but he held out his right hand. He gasped when he saw Ben's bloody and bruised knuckles. "Ben, you're hurt."

"I deserve it," Ben mumbled.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Sam asked gently. Ben shook his head no and hid against him. Ben usually didn't like having too much contact, but he must have needed it then.

"Is Alec ok?" Ben asked, changing the subject.

He hesitated, but then finally admitted, "Alec's in surgery."

Fresh tears spilled down Ben's cheeks as he cried, "It's all my fault. Alec's hurt because of me."

"Ben, please tell me what happened," Sam begged.

"We went down to the morgue…Alec wanted to see it and I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen," Ben said, his voice choked. "There was a ghost down there…he was so mad, but he was only mad at Alec. He kept saying that he broke the rules and that he needed to be punished…and then it was like I didn't have control anymore. Something else was controlling me, but I could still feel and see everything…I felt his bones break, but I couldn't stop…"

The fire irons made sense now, but he felt terrible for his little brother. Ben should never have been put through that. "How did you get rid of the ghost?" Sam finally asked.

"I ran a little after Alec passed out. The ghost was still there, but it felt like I was more in control," Ben said. "I knew there were fire irons in here because of the fireplace, and I thought it would go away if I touched one and it did…and then I just hid here…"

"We need to go tell Dad a ghost is in the hospital," Sam said. "He'll know what to do."

He stood up and tried to pull Ben up too, but his little brother wouldn't budge. "No," Ben stated. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Ben, we have to tell them," Sam stressed. "They're looking for you and they need to know there's a ghost."

"I'm not going," Ben said. "It's not safe. It's not even safe for you to be near me right now."

"Ben, the ghost isn't controlling you anymore," Sam said, sitting back down. "And it wasn't you that hurt Alec, it was the ghost."

"I'm not moving," Ben said. He turned away from him and hid in the corner. He needed to go tell everyone that he'd found Ben, but he couldn't leave. He was afraid that if he left, Ben would disappear. Making up his mind, he settled in next to Ben and waited for someone to come into the chapel.

* * *

He tried to scream in pain, but something was wrong. He couldn't open his mouth, which made him panic. He could hardly breathe; he felt like his blood was on fire and was burning him from the inside out. He tried to scream again, but he still couldn't.

"Shh, Alec," Dean suddenly soothed. He felt his big brother's arm slide under his shoulders and carefully lifted him up slightly. Dean's arm was shaking, but he scooted him over and laid in bed next to him. "Shh, try not to cry, ok kiddo? You're gonna hurt your eye." Dean situated him, and suddenly he was tucked against his brother's side. "A lot has happened, but don't try to talk. I'll tell you everything I know, just don't talk."

He could hardly think of anything besides the pain, but he felt a tiny bit better knowing he wasn't alone.

"They had to wire your jaw shut," Dean said. "I know it sucks, but you won't be talking for a while. And they had to do surgery on your left eye since your eye socket was shattered. They think your vision is gonna be ok, but you gotta keep the gauze over your eye until the doctors take it off. And your left wrist is broken again. But instead of a brace you've got a cast, so Ben's gonna have to decorate it."

Alec flinched without meaning to when he heard Ben's name. He knew it wasn't really his brother who had hurt him, but he still saw his brother's fist coming at him again and again.

"You ok? Does it hurt too much to sit like this?" Dean asked, misunderstanding his flinch. He shook his head no. He didn't want Dean to leave him. Dean moved though and he instantly whimpered to try to get his brother to stay. "It's ok kiddo, I'm not goin' anywhere. Just gotta find a way to get more comfortable." He opened his one good eye and looked up at Dean in concern. "I'm alright," Dean reassured. "And I'm not movin'. I just had to move fast to get to you, which was rough."

He had to close his eye again to try to fight through the pain. He hurt so bad…

"It feels like you've got a fever," Dean whispered. "You feelin' ok?" He shook his head no; there was no point in lying if he couldn't spin a story to go with it. He hated not being able to talk. "Cathy said she could give you something to make you sleep…" He quickly shook his head no again. He didn't want to be knocked out. He didn't like it. "Ok, ok," Dean placated. "But we might have to get you something for this fever…"

He needed to ask Dean a question, but he couldn't talk. And he needed to tell Dean about the ghost and about Ben and he wanted to know where Dad, Bobby, and Sam were…but he couldn't do any of it.

"Here Alec," Dean said, shifting around and holding out a pad of paper for him. He took it and the pencil Dean held and quickly started writing. His handwriting was shaky since his blood felt like it was boiling again, but he hoped Dean could still read it. He passed the paper back and tried to wait patiently as Dean read over it. "Ok…the answer to the first question is yes I found out they did give you blood during surgery. Is that why you have a fever?"

Alec nodded and took the paper back to write again. He didn't want Dean to feel bad, but his brother would want to know that he was hurting.

Dean's sharp eyes met his after he read what he had just wrote, "Will anything help? Any medicine or anything?"

Alec shook his head no. He didn't know of anything that would help. He just knew he wasn't supposed to have ordinary blood.

"Ok…maybe you can sleep a little after I answer the rest of these and maybe that will help," Dean suggested. His brother ran his hand through his hair, and then he held him a little closer. "Ok, um, for the rest of these…are you sure there's a ghost in the hospital?" He nodded and motioned for Dean to keep reading. "Ben attacked you?!" He quickly motioned again for Dean to keep reading. He hated that he couldn't just explain it to his brother.

"You think the ghost made him do it?" Dean asked softly. "You think the ghost possessed him?" Alec nodded and turned slightly against Dean to get closer. "Shit," Dean breathed out. "Alright, Dad and Bobby are looking for Ben. Hopefully they come back here before they find him so we can tell them what's going on. And Sam was out eavesdropping, but now I don't know where he is. But there's nothin' the two of us can do except rest, ok? I know it sucks being stuck here while Ben's missing, but neither of us have a choice."

He nodded again since that was all he could do. He wanted to do more, but Dean was right. He reached up his right hand and grabbed a little bit of Dean's hospital gown at his stomach. He wanted to be sure Dean would stay with him.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, kiddo," Dean reassured. "Just go to sleep and I'll still be here when you wake up."

Alec nodded and slowly relaxed against Dean.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	26. Chapter 26

His little brother cried every so often for the next few hours. He was in so much pain, and there was nothing he could do to help him except give him as much comfort as he could and talk to him.

"We were so bored without you guys, we started up a prank war," Dean whispered, running his hand through Alec's hair. "Sam got me good too. He put mud in my boots so it was all squishy when I put my shoes on. It felt disgusting and it took forever to clean them up."

Alec shook in his arms and he worried that the seizures were coming back. It took a lot out of a person to have surgery, so he probably needed some pills but he didn't know how he would take them.

He finally hit the call button on Alec's bed and waited for one of the nurses to come check on them. He was lucky that it was Cathy that came in.

"Is everything ok?" Cathy asked softly, coming over to his side of the bed. She had chastised him for getting out of bed, but she'd nodded in understanding when he told her why. Luckily, she even brought over some more pillows for him so he'd be more comfortable. Alec was lying mostly on him and he wasn't about to move, no matter how much it hurt to sit up for that long.

"Can I get some milk? It's Alec's favorite," Dean said.

"Sure thing, honey," Cathy replied before she left again.

"Cathy's gonna get you some milk," Dean murmured. "And you gotta drink it since I don't know how else to keep off your seizures." Fresh tears fell from Alec's good eye and he snuggled closer to him. His little brother shivered and whimpered in pain. "Are you cold?" Dean asked. He put his hand against Alec's forehead and found that he still had a pretty high fever. Alec nodded though and tried to get further under the covers. "I'll see if Cathy can get us another blanket when she gets back," Dean reassured.

Cathy came back with a cup of milk with a straw in it and a blanket tucked under her arm. She must have noticed Alec shivering when she had come in earlier. She checked him over while she was there, and then took Alec's stats too. "Alec, sweetie, how're you feeling?" Alec barely shook his head, not even bothering to lift his head from where it rested on his chest. "Ok, I'm going to go get you some Tylenol, ok?"

Alec just closed his good eye again and refused to move.

"Alec, can you drink some of this milk?" Dean asked softly. Alec opened his eye and tried to reach for the cup he held, but he only managed to lift his hand slightly. "Can you help me get him up a little bit?" Dean asked Cathy. "He's just a little sluggish since he just woke up…" He didn't want her to know that Alec was in an intense amount of pain because of the blood they gave him, but he couldn't lift Alec up on his own.

Cathy gently moved Alec, but he still groaned in pain. Any movement hurt him and it had gotten so he would barely do anything, and he had only been out of surgery for a few hours. Cathy looked at him in concern, but he ignored her. He didn't want her to ask him any questions, especially without Dad there.

Which reminded him, "Where's Dad? Have you seen him walking around?"

"I haven't seen him for a while, but I'll keep an eye out," Cathy said. "I don't think he even knows that Alec's out of surgery."

"Have you heard anything about Ben?" Dean asked.

Cathy shook her head no, "Not yet, honey, but the whole hospital is looking for him."

"Will you let me know if you hear anything?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I'll let you know," Cathy reassured. "You two try to get some rest, ok?"

He nodded and held Alec close, and then Cathy left again. "Alec, c'mon, you gotta try to drink some milk," Dean urged. "And then we'll both try to sleep, alright?" Alec sort of nodded and actually took a sip of milk when he held the straw to his lips. "Try to drink it all, ok? We gotta keep your seizures off."

Alec took a few more sips before he drifted off again.

* * *

He sat with his little brother, hiding in the chapel, for a long time. His butt was numb, but he wasn't going to leave his brother. Ben had finally moved away from the corner to lean against him. He was actually asleep right now, but he knew he wouldn't stay asleep for long. Ben had dozed off and on for a while now, but he always woke up from a nightmare after he'd been asleep for a little bit.

He heard footsteps outside the chapel, and his first instinct was to shrink back and hide. They were already hiding, so it felt like he needed to keep hiding. But then he remembered that he was waiting for someone to come by so he could tell them to get one of the nurses. He needed to let someone know that Ben wasn't lost anymore.

"Ben? Ben are you in here?"

Sam gasped when he recognized the voice as Bobby's. "Bobby, we're in here," Sam called out. Ben started to wake up beside him, but quickly fell back asleep.

"Sam?" Bobby asked in surprise.

"Behind the piano," Sam said, knowing Bobby couldn't see them.

Bobby's footsteps got louder as he walked over to them. "You found him?!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Yeah, but Bobby, there's a ghost and it possessed him and now he's scared and I wanted to tell someone but I didn't want to leave him because I was afraid that he would take off if I left," Sam said as fast as he could.

"Ok slow down," Bobby said, adjusting his hat. "You found Ben, but couldn't leave to tell someone why?"

"Because Ben might've disappeared if I did and he refused to move because he's scared he's gonna hurt someone," Sam explained.

"And why's he afraid he's gonna hurt someone?" Bobby asked.

He shot a quick look to Ben to make sure he was still asleep before he said, "He got possessed by a ghost and hurt Alec and now he thinks it's gonna happen again."

"Shit…" Bobby breathed out. He thought for a minute, and then said, "Well, he's not gonna hurt anyone now. The ghost probably got thrown back to wherever it came from as soon as he touched those irons."

"He's still scared," Sam said.

Bobby took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, I'm gonna go call off the search. Everyone in this hospital is lookin' for him…but I'll get that called off, and then me and John will figure out how to get rid of this ghost."

Sam nodded, "We'll stay here."

"Sam, Alec's probably out of surgery and he probably wants to know where Ben is," Bobby said. "You and Ben need to get back to Dean's room and stay there."

"Ben won't move," Sam stressed. "I tried to get him up, but he won't."

Bobby sighed and reached over to shake Ben's shoulder. "C'mon kid, up and at 'em."

Ben gasped and his eyes flew open, but he relaxed just a little when his eyes landed on Bobby. He looked around for a moment, and suddenly scrambled back when he remembered what was going on.

"Ben, it's ok," Sam reassured. "Bobby said the ghost is probably back in the morgue now so you don't have to worry about it getting you again."

"And I think Alec's probably out of surgery, so you boys need to go check on him," Bobby said.

"No! It's not safe!" Ben yelled. "I'm not going!"

"Ok," Bobby soothed. "Sam, stick with him. I'll come check on you guys once I get everything sorted out."

"Thanks Bobby," Sam said as Bobby stood up and left.

* * *

"How's he doin'?"

Alec surfaced enough to hear his Dad when he came in, but he still couldn't move. He felt like he was going to start crying again he was in so much pain, but he tried to keep himself together for at least a few minutes. He didn't want to cry in front of Dad.

"Not good," Dean answered. "He's in a lot of pain…I think he'd be screaming in pain if his jaw wasn't wired shut."

"What hurts the most? Can Cathy up his morphine?" Dad asked.

"No, Dad, it's the blood they gave him. He said his blood is on fire, and he can barely move," Dean said. His brother's arm tightened around him, making him feel a tiny bit better.

"What did the doctor say? Did he know what might help?" Dad asked.

"Dad…I didn't tell them," Dean said. It was quiet for a minute, and he could picture Dad giving Dean his angry, frustrated look, but then Dean continued, "If they haven't noticed something's weird with his blood yet, then telling them his blood is on fire is definitely going to clue them in, and then Manticore will be here before we can even get out of bed."

Dad didn't say anything to Dean, but he did walk closer to them, and then his hand ran through his hair. "Alec, kiddo, can you hear me?" Dad whispered. He nodded back even though he didn't want to open his good eye.

"Have you found Ben?" Dean asked.

That got his attention; he wanted to know where his brother was. He opened his good eye and looked up at Dean. He was practically lying on his older brother, but the comfort he was giving him outweighed the embarrassment he felt at displaying his weakness.

"No sign of him or whoever took him," Dad said.

He was just about to try to get Dean's attention to try to get him to tell Dad everything, but his brother was ahead of him. "Alec said it was a ghost. A ghost possessed Ben, and then Ben attacked him…"

"Shit," Dad growled. "Shit. How did they find a fucking ghost?" Dean didn't say anything, and Dad started pacing. He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. When he turned back, his eyes landed on him, and widened in surprise. "Alec!"

Dean looked down at him and gently asked, "Are you feeling any better?" He shook his head no, and dropped his head back to his brother's chest.

"Alec, where did you see the ghost?" Dad asked, taking a step closer to him.

"Dad, his jaw's wired shut…" Dean reminded.

Dad grumbled, but then grabbed the paper and pencil he'd used earlier. He had to move awkwardly because of the cast on his left wrist, but he managed to get the paper from his Dad. His hand was shaking though because the pain spiked when he moved, but he finally wrote 'morgue' on the paper.

"What the Hell were you doin' in the morgue?" Dad yelled once he saw what he had written.

He quickly rested against Dean again and hid his face against his chest. Dean rubbed his back and defended, "You know he's always curious…maybe he just wanted to see it."

He peeked out to see what Dad's reaction would be; he looked mad, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Ok, we'll talk about this later," Dad finally said.

"But where d'you think Ben went?" Dean asked.

"Don't know…" Dad muttered, looking around the room.

"I do," Bobby said, suddenly walking in. "He and Sam are in the chapel."

"What? Why are they still there?" Dad asked.

But he knew; he knew Ben would avoid him because of this. If their roles had been reversed, then he would avoid his brother too. Part of him was a little glad that Ben was keeping his distance. He didn't want to flinch the first time he saw him because then his brother would never get near him again. He needed to prepare himself so he wouldn't be scared of him. He knew it wasn't Ben's fault, he just needed to get his body to agree with his head.

"He's scared," Bobby said. "He said it's not safe and he's not going."

Dad sighed, "Is Sam still with him?"

"Yeah, couldn't get him to move either," Bobby said.

"Alright, well, those two can stay there and these two will stay here while we go hunt this ghost…" Dad said.

"Dad-"

"Dean, just stay put and don't argue," Dad demanded.

"Yes sir," Dean replied.

Dad and Bobby left the room, and he finally got to drop his act. He whimpered in pain and tears leaked out of his good eye. Dean held him close and whispered reassurances to him, but he was in too much pain to understand what he was saying.

* * *

"Only Alec would find a ghost in a hospital," Bobby muttered as they walked to the elevator. John didn't say anything, or even acknowledge that he'd said anything. "The boy's just curious," Bobby tried to defend the youngest Winchester. "He likes to explore and see new things. Can't blame him for that."

"He's gonna be laid up for at least two months with those injuries," John grumbled. "His curiosity's gonna get him killed some day."

He sighed, "John, you can't control him. The more you try, the more he's gonna rebel. Kid's been told what to do too much in his life. He's got the taste of freedom, and he's not lettin' that go."

"You can't tell me how to raise my kids," John growled.

"I'm not tellin' you how to raise your kids, John," Bobby said in exasperation.

"Let's just find this ghost," John said, shouldering past him.

He didn't want to lose the boys again. He'd barely met them the first time before John took them away. Then he'd gone and dropped them off on his doorstep, expecting him to take care of them without hardly any explanation. He'd taken care of them all summer, getting to know them, and really feeling like their family. He didn't want to be shut out again, not after everything. So, he kept his mouth shut and walked to the elevator in silence.

They went down to the morgue, which was thankfully empty, and slowly searched it for any sign of the ghost. They were there for at least an hour, but there was no sign of the ghost ever being there.

"C'mon, if there was a ghost here, then it's gone now," Bobby said. "We can ask around and see if any of the nurses know anything once we get a description from the boys."

John just nodded and followed him back to the elevator.

* * *

"Ben, we need to go see if Alec's ok," Sam said after they had sat there for another hour. "He's probably wondering where we are."

"You should go check on him," Ben muttered, his voice still thick with tears. "You shouldn't be with me anyway…it's not safe."

"Ben, the ghost is gone," Sam tried to reassure. "The iron got rid of it and Dad and Bobby are going to get rid of it the rest of the way."

"I'm not safe," Ben said. "I tried, but she's mad at me. I should've been better."

"What're you talking about?" Sam asked slowly. He didn't like what his brother was saying, but he didn't know what he meant.

"I didn't sacrifice enough, so I angered her," Ben whispered. "She protects us and I could only do so much. And then Dean got hurt and I knew I hadn't done enough, but we were here and I couldn't do anything else but pray…"

"Ben, what…who are you talking about?" Sam asked. He wished Dean was here; Dean would know what to do, how to make it better.

"The Blue Lady," Ben said. "She helped me and Alec escape, and she led Dad to us. But I haven't been making as many sacrifices to her, so she's mad at me. She made me hurt Alec because he doesn't believe."

His heart was racing; he didn't know what to do about this or how to fix it. Ben was scaring him, but he didn't know how to make him stop. "Ben…let's go see Alec," Sam finally said. Alec would be with Dean and Dean would know what to do.

"No! I can't! I'm not safe!" Ben yelled.

"Ok," Sam quickly replied. "Um, what kind of sacrifices do you have to make? Maybe we can make her happy again…" He had no idea what he was talking about, but if he could get Ben to calm down then it would be worth it. Ben seemed to really believe in the Blue Lady, and he seemed to follow whatever she said. Maybe he could convince Ben that the Blue Lady wanted him to go to his brother somehow…

"At Manticore, my unit had to kill one of the prisoners. I stole his teeth and offered them to the Blue Lady and she helped us escape. I've been using animal teeth, but she must not like animal teeth," Ben said.

He hated this; it was making him sick to his stomach. Ben shouldn't be saying or doing these things. He needed Dean, but his brother was in no condition to come to them and he couldn't leave Ben alone right now. It was up to him to try to get through to him. He had to get through to him.

"Ben…the Blue Lady's not real," Sam said gently. "At least…not in the way you're thinking."

"You're wrong," Ben stated.

"Good things don't ask for sacrifices. They don't ask you to hurt people or other things to make them happy," Sam said. "Monsters do that. Monsters make you believe things and make you do things you shouldn't. If the Blue Lady is real, then she's bad."

"She helped us escape Manticore," Ben said, sounding just a little less sure of himself.

"Maybe she had to make you believe good things would happen so you'd keep doing bad things," Sam said. "But I've never done any of that stuff and somehow I still got two little brothers."

"Sam, she's real," Ben said, begging him to understand.

"You'd do anything for Alec, wouldn't you?" Sam asked, deciding to change tactics. Ben nodded so he said, "Then how could you getting possessed and hurting him be something that someone good would want you to do?"

"I was being punished," Ben mumbled lifelessly.

"For what? What did you do that deserved being punished?" Sam asked.

"I-I didn't sacrifice enough…" Ben said.

"That doesn't make any sense, Ben," Sam said. "Why would that deserve a punishment?" Ben sniffled and shrugged his shoulders. "You're good, Ben," he continued, seeing an opening to really try to convince his little brother. "And you don't have to prove it to anyone. That ghost down there knew you were good and took advantage of you. You would've never hurt Alec like that on your own. Taking people's teeth, and animal's teeth, is not good and anyone that asks you to do that isn't good either."

Tears streamed down Ben's cheeks, but he asked, "Who can I trust to keep us safe if the Blue Lady is bad?"

"You can trust me, and Dean, and Alec, and Bobby, and Dad," Sam said. "We'll keep each other safe."

"Dean almost died…" Ben said.

"But he's going to be ok. We're going to keep each other safe and we won't leave each other," Sam said. "No matter what."

"I don't know…" Ben said.

"Do you trust me?" Sam asked. Ben nodded so he said, "Then you can trust me with this. The Blue Lady is not good. Our family is good. You don't need to make sacrifices for good things to happen, ok?"

"I don't know if I can change…" Ben admitted.

"I'll help you," Sam said. "Just no more sacrifices and if you think the Blue Lady is telling you to do something, talk to me instead." He gave his little brother a small smile and rubbed his shoulders. "I'll help you and we'll keep each other safe."

Ben thought about it for a minute before he finally whispered, "Ok…"

"Do you want to go see Alec now?" Sam asked.

"Only if he's asleep," Ben said. "I don't want to scare him."

"Ben, he knows it wasn't you," Sam said.

"It was my fist that hurt him," Ben said. "I'll only see him if he's asleep."

Sam nodded before he stood up and helped his little brother up. He kept his arm around Ben's shoulders as they slowly walked down the hall. He didn't know if he actually got through to Ben or not, but this was a good step. Ben needed Alec just as much as Alec needed Ben. And he would do whatever it took to make sure Ben was ok. He was Ben's older brother, and it was his job to protect him just like Dean thought is was his job to protect him.

"Can you check and see if he's asleep or not?" Ben asked softly.

"Yeah, give me just a second," Sam said. He slowly walked into Alec and Dean's room and saw that both of his brothers were asleep, leaning against each other. "They're both asleep," Sam said, peeking around the corning to see Ben again. He nodded and slowly walking inside. He winced when his eyes landed on Alec, but he walked all the way over to the bed.

"How hurt is he?" Ben asked, looking his brother over, but refusing to actually reach out and make contact with him.

"I'm not sure exactly," Sam hedged. "But he's not intubated, so that's a good sign. And they let Dean move over to his bed, so those are two good things…" He scanned Alec and figured his eyes was the biggest concern, but it looked like his wrist must have been broken too.

"Do you think he still has his eye?" Ben asked fearfully.

"I think so," Sam whispered. "Do you want to sit down?"

"No…he might wake up soon," Ben said. "Can we go back to the chapel?"

He nodded after a moment and said, "Yeah, we can go back to the chapel." Ben gave him a small smile and he hugged his little brother. They were going to get through this.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	27. Chapter 27

"Just write down what you want!" Dean yelled at him. He knew he was being stubborn, but he hated writing what he wanted to say, especially since his left hand made it awkward to hold the paper since it was still in a cast. Besides, he wanted to say more than he could write in a short period of time. He just wanted to talk again. "I can't read your mind and I can only figure out so much, so write it down."

He shook his head no and threw the pad of paper across the room, making Dean glare at him.

"I'm not pickin' that up," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

He ignored him and reached up to remove the gauze from his eye. He wanted to make sure he could actually see out of his left eye instead of just being told he could. But Dean grabbed his right hand and held it against his bed.

"No Alec. The doctor said he'd take it off in another day or two," Dean said. He was annoying his big brother, but he couldn't help it. He'd been in the hospital for five days now and Ben still hadn't come to visit him. He wanted to see his brother and tell him that it wasn't his fault. But he couldn't even do that because he couldn't talk. He hated this.

He moved to get up, but Dean grabbed him around his middle and got him back in bed. Now he sometimes hated that the blood he gave Dean was making him recover faster. Dean was allowed to move around now and he could actually be discharged if he wanted to be, he just had to take it easy and limit his movement. But Dad had taken Sam and Ben to a motel and Bobby was still hunting the ghost from the morgue, so Dean was the only one who could stay with him. At least he only ached from the blood they gave him instead of wanting to scream in pain.

"You know I want outta here just as much as you do, but you can't leave," Dean said. "Can't you just make this easy on me?"

Alec glared at him with his good eye; no, he could not make this easy on Dean. His big brother was keeping him here and keeping him away from Ben. Somehow, he was going to get Ben to believe this wasn't his fault. He had to admit though that it would be easier to convince his brother that everything was good if his face wasn't a mass of bruises. But he needed to do something. He knew Ben was just dying of guilt and he had to save his brother from that.

"Do you want a shake? I can have the nurse bring you one, especially since you didn't have anything for lunch," Dean said.

He looked away from his brother. No, he did not want a shake. He wanted solid food; he was tired of liquids. He wanted a hamburger so badly.

Dean sighed, "Alec, you've gotta eat something."

He shook his head no again.

"Hey kiddo," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Alec quickly looked and saw Dad standing there. He sat up and smiled, wishing he could say something. Dad gave him a wide smile and walked in, wrapping him in a big hug. "You ok?" He nodded; he was glad that Dean was always with him, but since Dad was here maybe Ben came too. "You bein' good for Dean?"

Alec gave Dean a quick glance; he rolled his eyes, but nodded for him to say yes. Alec shrugged though since Dad would know anyway. He looked past Dad after a moment to try to see if Ben would come in behind him.

"He's here," Dad said. "He's just draggin' his feet a bit."

"Ben's here?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Yeah…he's not very happy since I picked him up and put him in the car, but he is here," Dad said.

"Sam with him?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Dad said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Alec reached over and tugged on Dean's sleeve to get his attention. Dean looked at him and cocked his head to the side. "What is it Alec?"

He gave him a pointed look with his good eye, and then looked to the door.

"No, we're not gonna look for him," Dean said. "He'll make it here when he's ready."

He gave him his most pitiful look that he had, and Dean looked like he was about to crumble. He blinked a couple of times and pouted just a little bit. He knew he could break Dean, especially since Dean knew this would make him feel better.

"Oh alright," Dean breathed out. "C'mon, we can go walk around for a minute."

Dean helped him up and Dad said, "I'll wait here in case they get to the room before you get back."

"We won't be gone too long," Dean said, pulling him against his side. He was still pretty unsteady on his feet. His balance was off since he couldn't see out of his left eye and he got dizzy easily. "C'mon kiddo," Dean said to him.

He reached up and grabbed his brother's hand even though he wasn't a kid anymore; he was 11-years-old for cryin' out loud. He would claim that it would help his balance if Dean said anything. Honestly, he was already a little tired and he was kind of nervous to see Ben again. What if his brother ran away from him? What if he wouldn't talk to him? What if-

"Hey, it's ok," Dean reassured, knowing he was nervous. "Ben's gonna know everything you wanna say to him and I know you're gonna help him get over his guilt." Alec leaned into Dean; he knew his older brother would stick with him no matter what.

They walked around the entire floor, the cafeteria, and the waiting room, but there was no sign of Ben or Sam. He was completely worn out to the point where he could barely move his feet, but he didn't want to stop looking.

Dean picked him up suddenly and he didn't fight against him. Instead, he rested against his brother's shoulder and let him carry him wherever he wanted to go, even if it was back to his room.

"You're almost too big to carry now, kiddo," Dean whispered to him. He snuggled against Dean's neck hoping that he wouldn't put him back down. He felt better being held; his brother didn't want to see him, but Dean wasn't going anywhere. Without his permission a tear fell down his cheek from his good eye and hit Dean's shirt. "It's ok," Dean soothed. "Everything's gonna be ok."

He dozed off against Dean, but he woke up a little when he heard Dad's voice again. "He ok? And are you ok? I don't think you should be carrying him…all things considered."

"Yeah, he just got too tired," Dean replied. "And I'm fine. Dr. Parlo said I could leave anytime I wanted. He has no idea how I recovered so fast, but so far he hasn't noticed Alec's blood in my system."

"No Ben?" Dad asked after a moment.

"Not that we could find," Dean said. They were moving again, only now he was lying down, tucked against Dean's side.

"Dean, I don't think he should be lying like that. It might be hurtin' him," Dad said.

"No, he's ok," Dean said. "He usually sleeps best like this and since we couldn't find Ben…he needs this."

"Dad?"

Dean's arms tightened around him and he heard the chair that Dad had been sitting in squeak as he got up. It was Sam's voice outside the room, which meant that Ben was probably with him. He tried to wake up more, but he'd overdone it walking around earlier.

"Hey Sammy, where's Ben?" Dad asked.

"He's in the chapel," Sam said. "I can't get him to leave."

"Dean, see if you can wake him up," Dad said.

"Alec, Sam told us where Ben is…do you wanna wake up and see him?" Dean asked him. He sort of snuggled against Dean, and then he was up again. Dean was still carrying him, but they were definitely moving. He needed to wake up, but he couldn't come back completely.

"Alec, can you wake up, kiddo?" Dad asked, rubbing his back.

"He's worn out," Dean said.

"You want me to take him?"

"No, I've got him," Dean said, his arms tightening around him again.

"Maybe I should just go get him…" Dad muttered to himself. "We shouldn't be movin' him this much."

"Dad, the best thing for him right now is his brother," Dean said.

"Dean, Ben's pretty messed up about this," Dad warned. "I know Alec needs him, but he might not be ready."

"Alec, I'm taking you to Ben, ok?" Dean whispered to him, ignoring Dad. Alec kept his eyes closed; he wanted to see Ben, but he was so tired. Maybe Dean would be able to wake him up once they found Ben.

* * *

Sam walked close to Dean as he led the way to Ben. He knew his brother was feeling better since Bobby gave them updates every time he came back from the hospital, but he still didn't know if he should be carrying Alec. Dean had practically died, but now he was acting like he was fine and that nothing had happened. It was so typical of his older brother and it pissed him off. Dean had been taking better care of himself and taking less risks since Ben and Alec had come into their lives, but he was still reckless and thought he was invincible.

"Alec, can you hear me?" Dean asked Alec, still trying to get him to wake up. Alec looked terrible still; the swelling on his face had gone down, but now dark bruises covered his skin, and his left eye was still covered in gauze. Alec didn't look good, but Ben was starting to look worse. His little brother would hardly eat anything. He'd lost a lot of weight and his eyes were hollow. Dad had decided Ben needed Alec now before he just disappeared entirely.

"Dean, let me go in first and warn him that you guys are here," Sam said. He'd stayed with Ben this whole time, so he knew just springing Alec on him was a mistake. He had to at least warn him what was about to happen.

"Ok, just try to word it so it's like we're not forcing him to do this," Dean suggested.

He scowled, "But we are."

"Just make it sound better," Dean said. "Bitch."

"Jerk," Sam replied. He'd really missed having his older brother around; it felt good to be reunited with his family again. They balanced each other out and kept each other happy for the most part, excluding the times they decided to do prank wars, those could easily get out of hand.

"Hurry up, Alec's getting heave…" Dean said.

Sam huffed, but he went into the chapel and walked to the corner where he and Ben had hidden earlier. He breathed out in relief when he saw that his little brother was still where he left him. He crouched down and touched Ben's shoulder, causing him to jump. "It's just me," Sam reassured. Ben relaxed slightly, but then stiffened again.

"Alec's here?" Ben asked, his voice soft.

"How'd you know?" Sam asked. He wasn't surprised, but his little brothers were fascinating sometimes. They always knew where the other was, they could tell when the other was in trouble or hurting, they could practically read each other's minds; it was incredible, but also annoying sometimes. It was almost impossible to prank them, and if he and Dean did manage to get one over on them, the twins' payback was 10 times worse. Ben didn't look like he would prank anyone, but as soon as Alec got him involved, then it was over.

Ben's eyes filled with tears as he rested his chin on his bent knees. "I have a sensitive nose…And I know his scent…yours and Dean's too."

"Dean's with him," Sam said, not knowing what else to say.

"I know…"

"Ben, he's mostly asleep," Sam said. "He misses you."

"Sam, after what I did…why would he ever want to be near me again?" Ben asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Sam asked back.

He stood up to give Dean the all clear, ignoring Ben's shout, "No Sam! Wait!"

"Dean," Sam called out. He wasn't going to move far from Ben since he was afraid his little brother was going to take off. His older brother came in with Alec still in his arms. Sam nodded for him to come over, and he slowly walked closer.

"Benny," Dean said softly.

Sam crouched down again next to Ben and gave him an encouraging nod. "Sooner or later you'll have to see him. Might as well do it now," Sam whispered.

Ben hesitated for another minute before he slowly stood up. He helped his little brother since he was unsteady, but he seemed more confident now that the decision had been made.

"Hey Ben," Dean said with a small smile. He could tell his older brother was worried though because his smile didn't reach his eyes. "You wanna come over and sit by me?" Dean asked, slowly sitting down in the first pew, shifting Alec as he went.

Ben swallowed hard, but nodded and started to walk over to Dean. He stopped, keeping his eyes on Alec and asked, "Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he's wiped out, but he's doin' ok," Dean said. "The doctor's gonna check his eye either tomorrow or the next day. His wrist will stay in the cast and his jaw will be wired shut for six weeks, which is the worst part for him since you know how much he likes to talk. He's already thrown the pad of paper across the room four times, which seriously pisses me off."

Ben actually cracked a smile at that, but it quickly fell and he asked, "Is he scared of me?"

"No Ben, he's not scared of you," Dean said. "He's mad at you though, for not comin' to see him sooner." Ben dropped his head in shame, so Dean quickly said, "C'mere and sit down. He's not wakin' up anytime soon."

Ben sat down after a moment, but he sat at the opposite end of the pew. Sam sat in the middle to make the distance a little less awkward. It was still awkward, but he didn't know how to fix that. But luckily, their youngest brother was the champion of always breaking awkward silences, even when his jaw was wired shut.

Alec groaned and started to sit up, but immediately stopped and collapsed against Dean again. "Hey kiddo," Dean whispered, running his hand through Alec's hair. Alec turned to be against Dean's chest, and his brother said, "I'll take you back to the room in a minute, ok? But Benny's here…"

Alec shot up and looked around for his brother. He smiled when he finally saw him and pushed out of Dean's hold to run over to Ben and practically tackled him in a huge hug. Ben's eyes were wide in shock, but he hugged his twin after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm so sorry, Alec," Ben whispered, his eyes now squeezed shut. Alec just hugged his brother tighter since he couldn't say anything.

Sam looked over to Dean and smiled; he'd been worried before, but now he couldn't imagine how the twins could have been apart. Dean nodded, knowing what he was thinking, but neither of them interrupted the twins' reunion.

* * *

Ben tried to move away from Alec so he could go to the bathroom, but his brother latched onto his arm and refused to let go. Alec was asleep next to him, but he would grab him every time he tried to move. His brother was afraid he would disappear if he moved out of arm's reach.

"Ben, you need somethin'?" Dean asked softly.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Ben said. "But I-he doesn't want me to leave."

"Let's wake him up, tell him what's going on," Dean said. His older brother carefully scooted Sam over; his older brothers were sharing Dean's old bed since Alec refused to let him go. Dad and Bobby had both gone back to the motel since neither of them could really handle sitting on the floor anymore. Dean walked over to him and carefully shook Alec's shoulder. "Alec, c'mon kiddo, Ben's gotta go to the bathroom."

Alec's eyes opened, and suddenly he was caught in Alec's intense stare. His brother couldn't talk, but he knew what he wanted. "I'll come right back," Ben promised. He couldn't leave his brother now. Alec needed him even though he'd hurt him. He needed Alec too, and he couldn't believe his brother forgave him for what he did.

Alec stayed awake until he came back, and immediately snuggled against him once he was lying next to him again.

"Better?" Dean asked.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around his brother. "I wish we could find a better way for him to talk," Ben whispered. He knew his brother, he knew who he wanted to see, what he needed, but most of all he knew his brother wanted to talk again.

"He'll talk again," Dean reassured.

"Yeah…I know," Ben said.

"I thought…I thought you guys knew what the other was thinking most of the time when you were around each other," Dean said.

He nodded again, "I can pretty much figure out what he wants, but most of all he wants to talk to everyone."

Dean took a deep breath and thought for a moment before he said, "I'll think about it…see if I can come up with somethin' better than the paper and pencil."

"He'd like that," Ben said.

"You doin' ok?" Dean asked, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Alec.

He shrugged; he knew he couldn't leave Alec again, but he also knew this was still his fault. "I'm fine…" He looked at his older brother noting that he looked a lot better than the last time he'd seen him. "You look a lot better than you did."

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, Alec's blood made me recover a lot faster than I should have." He gasped suddenly, finally coming up with a way to help his brother. "Don't even think about it," Dean said before he could do anything. "I know you're thinking about giving Alec blood so he'll heal faster, but that's not going to happen."

"Dean, I might be able to help him," Ben said, feeling hopeful for the first time since this happened.

"You've lost way too much weight, so I'm not gonna allow it," Dean said. "It's too dangerous for both of you. They gave Alec blood, and there's no way to know how that's gonna affect him. He's going to be alright, it's just going to take a little time."

"This is my fault…I just wanted to help him…" Ben muttered.

"You are helping him," Dean said. "He hasn't written that much this whole time. He's so happy to see you again." Alec had written pages upon pages to tell him everything that had been going on, everyone he had talked to, every show on TV, literally everything. He'd missed talking to his brother, and he knew his brother had missed talking to him.

"I'm happy to see him too," Ben said.

Dean smiled and nodded, "Now we just gotta get you eating again, huh?"

He gave his brother a sheepish smile, "Yeah…I guess so…"

"Do you want anything now? I'll go get it for you," Dean offered.

"I don't know…I don't want to be any trouble…" Ben muttered.

Dean stood up though and started for the door. "Good thing is, I'm hungry too so I'm already going." He started to walk out, but then stopped and looked back at him from the door. "Y'know, I think there might be a way Alec can talk to us, but it would be a lot of work…"

"What is it?" Ben asked.

"We could all learn sign language," Dean said with a small smile.

* * *

 _I'm not sure if you all are still reading or not, if you want more please review, otherwise the end could be coming soon._


	28. Chapter 28

_Hey guys, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad to see you guys are still reading and that you guys like it since there's still a lot left to this story._

* * *

'Why?' Alec wrote, frowning at his brother. Ben had just suggested that they should learn sign language, but he didn't know why. They already knew hand signals thanks to Manticore, they were combat signals, but they could still communicate.

"That way you can talk to us," Ben said. "I know you miss talking and we miss talking to you too, but this

way you can."

'Hand signals,' he wrote as fast as he could.

"Those are just for combat," Ben pointed out. "We wouldn't be able to talk about much…"

'We could adjust them,' Alec wrote. He was so sick of writing, but this was the only way he could communicate.

"Alec," Ben sighed. "This will give us something to do. Keep us occupied for a while, and then give us a way to talk again."

He started tapping his pencil against the pad of paper. He smirked to himself since he thought he was being funny, but Ben scowled at him.

"We're not using Morse Code either, Alec," Ben said, glaring at him. "Sam and Dean probably don't even know Morse Code and it takes too long to decipher."

He huffed; he was in a bad mood since he still wasn't allowed to leave the hospital. He didn't know why since he could sit and not move anywhere, but the doctors insisted that they should be around to keep an eye on him.

"Alec, this could be fun," Sam said. "We could all learn."

"And you wouldn't have to write anymore," Dean said. "I know how much you hate writing, especially since you throw the paper across the room about twice a day…"

He glared at his older brother. He felt like throwing the paper again, but he'd just be proving Dean right. Instead he wrote, 'I'm tired. I'm going to sleep.'

"Alright…" Ben whispered. He could hear the guilt creep into his brother's voice. Ben had started eating again, but it had only been a day since they had been reunited so he hadn't gained back any weight and he knew he felt guilty still.

He sighed and wrote, 'Fine. I'll learn.'

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Ben said. "I just thought it would be a good way to talk…"

He leaned against his brother, resting his head on his shoulder. He didn't want Ben to feel bad; he never wanted his brother to feel bad. 'I want to,' he finally wrote.

"Cathy said she could get someone up here to teach us," Ben said.

He nodded and held up the piece of paper that said 'ok.' He had kept his most used replies so he could just hold them up instead of writing them over and over again.

"I'll go tell Cathy," Dean said, leaving the room.

* * *

It was frustrating that the boys learned sign language way faster than he or Sam ever could. After the first lesson, the twins could communicate together without saying anything, but he and Sam could barely even spell their names.

The woman Cathy brought to teach them was so impressed with how fast Alec and Ben picked up sign language, she started signing to them without teaching them everything first. They picked up what she was trying to say and instantly gained a few more words that they could use.

He and Sam were still practicing while Ban and Alec slept curled together in bed. They had worn themselves out talking to each other. Alec had some issues since his wrist was in a cast, but even with his broken wrist and his bad eye he still managed to talk to Ben just as much as he used to.

"This is exhausting," Dean admitted, keeping his voice soft so he didn't wake up his little brothers.

Sam nodded in agreement and muttered, "We should've known they'd be good at everything…"

He dropped the book and leaned back against the wall. "At least Ben and Alec can talk to each other again. It was weird not seeing them talking nonstop."

"Alec looked happier today, don't you think?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…he's still mad that he's gotta stay here, but he's happy Ben's back," Dean said.

"Do you think Bobby's any closer on killing the ghost in the morgue?" Sam asked.

"He still hasn't seen it," Dean said. "No one knows what he's talking about, especially since when he asks about a person dying in the morgue it sounds like the stupidest question in the world."

Sam laughed, "When you put it like that…"

He smiled and was just about to push Sam over when he heard one of his brothers whimper. He looked over to see if it was Ben or Alec, but whoever it was had fallen asleep again.

"When's Dad coming back?" Sam asked when he relaxed again.

"Don't know," Dean replied with a shrug. "He didn't say if he was going back to the motel or to find Bobby."

"Do you think Dad's going to keep Alec here until the doctor clears him, or do we have to leave before that," Sam asked.

"Well, as long as the doctors don't start asking too many questions, then we should be ok," Dean said. "But we can't let Manticore find us again, so if it feels like that, then we'll take off. Dad's got friends who are doctors and now that me and Alec are outta the woods, we could leave if we had to."

One of his brothers whimpered again, so he pushed himself up from the floor to see who was having the nightmare.

Alec was the one shaking, trembling in fear. He flinched like someone had hit him, so he slowly walked over to try to get Alec to wake up. He knew he had to be careful, so Alec didn't hurt him or Ben, but he couldn't let his little brother suffer through a nightmare when he was around and could wake him up.

He was just about to shake Alec's shoulder, when suddenly Alec's eyes snapped open, and then he took in a sharp breath in panic when he saw Ben. He scrambled back until he fell off the bed, landing on the floor on his butt.

He was so shocked to see Alec suddenly wake up that he didn't have time to reach out and catch him. Alec's right hand clutched at his chest, and he collapsed onto his back. He was gasping, trying to catch his breath, but he couldn't. He snapped out of his shock and ran over to his little brother. He tried to get his little brother to lie flat, but he was in a full-blown panic. He was hyperventilating, and pretty soon he was going to pass out if he didn't calm down.

"Alec, c'mon kiddo, you gotta breathe," Dean whispered. "Please Alec, you're gonna pass out if you don't slow down."

Alec continued to gasp for air, unable to calm down enough to draw in a good breath. Getting him to lie back wasn't working, so he grabbed his little brother and held him against his chest, wrapping his arms around him so that he was the only thing Alec could see or smell. He didn't know what had caused this panic attack, but he was going to get Alec through it.

"Shhh, slow breaths," Dean soothed, rubbing Alec's back with one hand, but keeping his head against his chest with his other. "Nice and slow." He held Alec for at least 15 minutes before his breaths became deeper and more even. He could feel tears soaking his shirt, but he didn't move.

"Dean?" Sam asked from the bed. He was sitting next to Ben trying to keep him calm, but Ben was staring at them with wide, scared eyes.

"He's ok, he just had a panic attack," Dean said. "He probably tried to breathe in through his mouth, but then couldn't get a good breath and panicked."

Sam nodded, but Ben still sat frozen. He looked to Sam, and his little brother nodded again. "C'mon Ben, let's go take a walk real quick."

He gave Sam a thankful look, and then focused on his little brother again. Alec hadn't moved from where he was cuddled against his chest, but he wasn't going to rush him. He would give him time to get himself back together again. "Y'know, me and Sam once played a trick on Dad…we were real little, Sam was maybe four and I was eight, and we did that trick with the bucket on the door. You know which one I'm talkin' about?" Alec didn't even acknowledge that he was saying anything, so he explained, "We put a bucket of water on the top of a door, just right at the edge so when the door opened it would fall. I had to ask the motel manager if I could use a ladder and he helped me set it up. Dad walked right into it and you should've seen his face when the water dropped right on his head. He tried to be mad, but as soon as Sam started laughing he couldn't be mad anymore. He chased us around the rest of the night, tickling us if he caught us. It was one of the few good nights that we had until Dad found you guys."

He rubbed Alec's back and ran his hand through his short hair before he asked, "You wanna get back in bed now?" Alec actually shook his head no, so he settled in, adjusting Alec just a little bit to be more comfortable. "Alec, was it a bad dream or was it that you just couldn't catch your breath."

Alec's tears hit his shirt again and he knew he didn't want to talk about this. But he needed to figure out what was going on so he could hopefully stop it from happening again. He looked around for the paper and pencil, but he didn't see it anywhere.

"Alec, let me see your hand," Dean said, trying to get Alec's right hand from where it was trapped against his chest and held it in his own hand. "Alec, draw either a 'D' for dream or a 'B' for breath, ok?" Alec shook his head no again, so he practically begged, "Alec, please, I want to help, so whatever it is it's ok. I just want to help and I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Alec hid his face against his chest, but slowly drew a 'B' on the palm of his hand. He started to smile since Alec was finally answering him, but he frowned when Alec drew an 'E' after he finished the 'B'. He nearly sighed when Alec drew 'N' after he finished the 'E'.

"Ben?" Dean asked to make sure. Alec nodded, so he asked, "Were you just surprised when you saw him?" Alec nodded again and he wished more than anything that he could talk to him. "Alec, it's going to take some time to get over this. I know you want Ben by your side and you don't want to lose him and it's not his fault, but it was his face you saw and his fist that hurt you. It's just going to take some time and no one expects you to recover from this overnight."

Alec pulled away from him to look at the bed, but then turned back to hide his face against his chest.

"Sam and Ben took a walk," Dean said. "So we've got some time."

Alec took deep breaths to calm himself down, and then after a while, his breathing finally slowed. He thought maybe Alec had fallen asleep, but when he looked down, he saw his little brother's eyes were still open. That was ok, they could sit there until Sam and Ben got back. Alec would probably pretend to sleep once they got back, but he would go along with whatever Alec wanted to do.

* * *

"How're the boys?" Bobby asked him when he finally found where he was.

"I'm sure they're fine," John answered shortly. He actually hadn't been to see the boys yet today. He wanted to finish this ghost off, and then get his boys back on the road. Alec could see a doctor later for his jaw and his eye. Hell, he could check Alec's eye himself and if his boy could still see then they didn't have a problem. If he couldn't see…well, he'd figure that out if he needed to. Dean was better, which meant they could hit the road. If Alec hadn't gotten hurt, then they would've left soon after Dean woke up. "What do you have so far?"

"Diddly squat, that's what," Bobby grumbled. "Been at this for days, and still no sign of Alec's ghost."

"You think he was making it up? He gets bored easily and makes things up," John said. "Maybe he and Ben had a fight. Ben's all about followin' the rules and if Alec made it down to the morgue, they probably started fighting and things got outta hand."

"I know how they are," Bobby snapped. "I had 'em all summer, in case you forgot."

"Bobby," John sighed.

"Don't you 'Bobby' me! Those two need stability, someone they can count on! Not bein' dropped off with someone they barely know for the entire summer!" Bobby shouted.

"You don't get to tell me how to raise my boys!" John yelled back. He knew this was coming. He hadn't warned Bobby before dropping the boys off and this was the first time they hadn't been worried out of their minds about the boys, which meant Bobby was going to tell him how he really felt about all this.

"You made that real clear when you took 'em away for 2 years! But now that it's convenient for you, you dump 'em on whoever will take 'em! Why bother lookin' for 'em for 9 years if you're just gonna ship 'em off first chance you get!?" Bobby yelled.

He clenched his jaw, but then said in a deadly tone, "Hunt this ghost, don't hunt it, I don't care. We're leaving."

He stormed away and punched the button to get the elevator back. He didn't care what Bobby did or didn't do. This ghost wasn't killing people, so it wasn't enough to be on his radar. He'd been humoring the boys by letting them stay here, but he was done.

What Bobby said hit too close to home, but he didn't know how else to keep his boys safe. He wouldn't stop hunting the thing that killed Mary, but he didn't want the twins to get caught in the middle of that. He thought sending them to Bobby's would let them have a normal, and actually fun, summer. It had killed him to be away from his boys for so long, but it had to be done. They had to be protected. He couldn't lose them. He couldn't lose any of his boys. But he had to kill whatever took his wife. He'd found his boys, but now he had to get his revenge.

The elevator finally opened and he stepped inside and hit the 3. He needed to get ready for the argument that was about to happen. Dean would be pissed, but Sam would be the one that would argue with him. He'd have to come up with a reason why they had to leave. Things used to be so much easier; Sam used to do whatever Dean did and went along with everything, but now he was argumentative and fought him tooth and nail on every little thing. It was infuriating. Alec would sometimes argue with him, but only on things that didn't really matter. And his youngest had a way to make arguing actually be funny, and kind of adorable.

"Or maybe I just spoil the kid…" John muttered to himself.

Oh well, if not getting mad that his youngest son argued with him was spoiling him, then at least he was giving him something.

He stopped short when he finally made it to his boys' room. Dean and Alec were on the floor, Alec was in Dean's lap, shaking slightly while Dean was holding him against his chest. "What the Hell happened?" John growled.

Dean looked up at him in panic, but Alec just hid against his big brother. "Dad! I thought you were at the motel…"

"What happened?" John repeated.

"He couldn't breathe," Dean said. "He fell outta bed and this was the only way to calm him down."

"Where's Sam and Ben?" John asked. He wanted to go over and make sure Alec was ok, but he knew that wouldn't go over well with either of his sons. Alec trusted Dean first when he'd found them and that trust had only grown stronger in the two years since then. If Alec was hurt, it was Dean who was allowed to take care of him and treat him like a kid.

"They went to take a walk…" Dean said slowly. "Dad, what's going on?"

"I overheard the doctors," John said without any hesitation. "They know something's different with his blood and they're starting to look into it."

"Dad-"

"I have friends who are doctors," John cut off. "I'll take him to see one when it's time."

"But his eye…They were going to check his eye in the morning," Dean said.

"Dean, go find your brothers," John ordered. "We're leaving. Now."

Dean hesitated for just a second before he said, "Yes sir." His son carefully stood up with Alec in his arms, and then he gently laid him on the bed. "I'll be right back, ok kiddo? Just relax, ok?" Dean whispered. Alec nodded, so Dean ruffled his hair and stood up. "Don't leave yet. I'll find them and be right back," Dean said to him.

He nodded and watched as Dean left the room. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, unsure if he should try to talk to Alec or just let him rest.

"You ok to ride for a while?" John finally asked. Alec nodded; he expected some smartass reply, but he forgot that his boy's jaw was wired shut. "Hey, at least you'll get out of the hospital, right?" John asked, trying to lighten things up. Alec nodded again, but still wouldn't look at him. He took a hesitant step forward, but stopped when he saw Alec tense. "We'll hit the road, and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Alec still didn't acknowledge him, so he stood in silence until Dean finally came back with Sam and Ben in tow.

"What's going on?" Sam instantly asked, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.

"Don't you take that tone with me," John growled. Sam glared back at him, but he didn't start arguing again so he said, "We need to go. The doctors know."

"What about Alec's eye and his jaw?" Sam asked, unwilling to just drop it.

"I'll handle it," John snapped. "Now, get your ass to the car."

Sam was about to argue, but Dean hit his arm and shook his head no. Dean brushed by Sam and walked over to Alec. He lifted Alec up and walked back to the door, looking to make sure no one was there before he left the room. Sam glared at him one more time before he followed Dean.

"C'mon buddy, let's hit the road," John said to Ben.

Ben nodded, but kept his head down. He put his hand on Ben's back and guided him out of the room.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	29. Chapter 29

_Hey everyone! So this chapter jumps around a bit, so I hope it's not too confusing and I hope you guys like it!_

* * *

'I don't want you to check,' Alec signed. He and Ben were sitting up in the middle of their bed. Sam and Dean were both asleep, Sam on the other bed and Dean on the cot that Dad had gotten when he checked them in, and Dad was…well, he didn't really know where Dad was right now. Dad had said they would check his eye in the morning, but he really didn't want to know if he could still see or not. If he could, then great, he was getting back to normal, but if he couldn't, then he was useless. He wouldn't be able to help his family, he couldn't hunt, he couldn't do anything. His balance would be off, his depth perception…everything. He had to be able to see.

'Alec, Dad's going to check in the morning anyway. Don't you want to get it over with?' Ben asked, easily signing back to him. 'If you can't see, then I'll be the only one that knows. _And_ this way you can break down if you need to without everyone else seeing.'

'I don't want to know,' Alec signed. 'I don't want to know tonight or tomorrow.'

'Would it be better if I woke Dean up? He could check,' Ben offered.

'No Ben. I don't want to know,' Alec signed. He loved that they had learned sign language; he hadn't wanted to learn it before, but now this was awesome. He and Ben could talk for hours and the only thing that made this a little difficult was the cast on his wrist. But even that couldn't stop them from talking for hours. It was still weird to talk without actually speaking, but he was getting used to it. He would like it though to be able to talk without having to use his hands.

'Fine,' Ben signed, picking up the marker again and continuing his doodle on his cast. So far there was a house, their family, the Impala, and now he was working on a sign that looked like it was going to say Singer's Salvage. He liked the picture; it made his cast less boring and gave Ben something to do instead of wallowing in his guilt. His brother was doing a lot better at not blaming himself for what had happened, but he still got really quiet sometimes and would refuse to talk to him. That's when he would go hang out with Dean and Ben would go find Sam and do whatever they did. Probably read or something boring like that.

He rubbed his good eye; sleep was tugging at him, but he didn't want to sleep. The sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he would have to find out if he could see or not. He knew if he couldn't see, his family would try to do whatever they could to get his sight back. But it would be a waste of time. If it was gone, then that was it.

He looked up when Ben suddenly tapped his shoulder to get his attention. 'Let's just check now, ok? You're going to worry until you get sick, which would be really bad because you'd drown in your own vomit. Do you really want to do that?' He shook his head no. He was feeling a little queasy, but Ben was right, he was going to worry until he got sick. 'Let me just take the gauze off, ok? We'll take this really slow.'

He hesitated a moment before he finally nodded. He tried to slow his breathing as Ben reached out and carefully pulled the gauze from his eye.

"Alec, open your eye," Ben said out loud, sitting back slightly to give him some room.

He very slowly opened his eye, and realized about halfway that he could see something. Ben was in front of him, giving him a small, encouraging smile. He was a little blurry out of his hurt eye, but it was way better than nothing.

'Can you see?' Ben asked, signing to him again.

He smiled and nodded that he could, and then signed, 'You're a little blurry, but I can see.'

Ben breathed out in relief and threw his arms around his neck. His cheeks heated in embarrassment, but he hugged his brother back. His own relief was making him feel a little lightheaded, and he sagged against his brother. "Alec, you ok?" Ben asked in concern. He nodded and took in a steadying breath to get himself back together. Ben pulled back from him so he could scan his face and gave him a small smile before he signed, 'You can really see, right? You're not just saying you can…'

'I can see,' Alec replied. He closed his good eye and signed, 'Hold up a number and I'll tell you what it is.' Ben nodded and held up two fingers. He copied his brother and smiled at the same time that Ben did.

Ben hugged him again, and he returned the hug without any hesitation.

* * *

He wrapped his arm over his brother's shoulders. Alec was shaking slightly, probably nervous about seeing this doctor. But this was more of a friend of Dad's than a real doctor. Besides, they were in the furthest thing from a hospital right now. It looked more like a place Dad would pick for them to stay for a while even if it didn't have any plumbing.

He tapped his little brother's shoulder and slowly signed, 'It's going to be ok. He's just going to unwire your jaw, and then you'll be able to talk again.'

'Sam, what if my jaw is still broken? We thought my wrist was going to be fine when we took off the cast, but now I'm in my brace for another month,' Alec said.

He flinched remembering their failed attempt to free Alec's wrist when they thought it was time. His little brother had tried to cry out in pain, but with his jaw wired shut he'd only been able to let out a tortured moan. Dad had immediately stopped trying to saw through the cast, afraid that he'd cut Alec instead of the cast, but they'd figured out his wrist hadn't healed right and had to improvise to try to fix it. He was back in his brace now, being very careful to not use that hand for anything.

'This guy will be able to check for sure that your jaw is ok before he does anything,' Sam reassured. 'And he can check your wrist to make sure it's going to heal.'

'I'm just…nervous,' Alec admitted.

"It's going to be ok," Sam whispered out loud.

Ben and Dean looked up at the sound of his voice, and Dean's eyebrows rose in a silent question. He shook his head no, so his brothers started looking through the magazines again, trying to find the perfect one for Alec to look through while they waited.

'I don't like this place,' Alec signed. 'It looks dirty.'

'Well, that's because it is dirty,' Sam signed back. 'This is some guy Dad knows, which means he's probably cheap and discreet. But he wouldn't bring us here if it wasn't safe.'

Alec nodded and leaned against him just a little bit more.

Dean and Ben came back over, and Dean immediately picked Alec up and sat him on his lap. Alec smiled and seemed to relax just a little bit more. Dean always made everything better; he was the best big brother.

It was a few minutes later when Dad came out of one of the rooms and walked over to Alec. "C'mon kiddo, let's get you talkin' again." Dad picked Alec up from Dean's lap and held him close. "C'mon Ben, you can come too."

Ben smiled and jumped up to follow after them.

"You think Alec's going to be ok?" Sam asked once his brothers were behind the door.

"Yeah, this guy knows what he's doing even though this place is a dump," Dean said.

"You've been here before?" Sam sort of asked, and sort of guessed.

Dean took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah…it was a long time ago though."

"How long? What happened?" Sam asked in a rush. Dean had gotten hurt a lot over the years, but he would have remembered coming to this place.

"It was after Mom died," Dean whispered with his head down. "And after the boys were taken…You were three and that's why you don't remember."

"You were seven when you came here? What happened?!" Sam asked in distress. "You weren't hunting when you were seven were you?! When did you start hunting?!"

"Sam, calm down, ok? Alec and Ben can hear you through the door," Dean said.

"Then answer my questions," Sam said.

"Yes, ok? I was seven when I came here. No I wasn't hunting. I didn't start going on hunts until I was nine and those weren't even big hunts because I still had to look out for you," Dean said without answering his real question.

"Then how come you had to come here?" Sam asked softly. He wanted to know even though part of him knew he would get mad at the answer.

"I was cooking dinner for you and I accidently cut my arm with a knife. I was trying to open something with it and it slipped and made a pretty big cut down my arm," Dean whispered. "Dad came back and there was blood everywhere and you were crying and we didn't have any insurance anymore, so he brought us here. This guy fixed up my arm and taught Dad a couple things in case he needed to know it."

Anger flared in him that Dad had left them alone even when Dean was seven. His brother shouldn't have had to do all of that; he should've never been responsible for putting food on the table when he was seven. "Dean-"

"Don't even start, Sam," Dean warned. "Today's about Alec. I'm pretty happy that we won't have to use sign language anymore."

He chuckled and nodded, "Yeah…Ben and Alec are a lot better at sign language than we are."

"We picked up quite a bit, but I don't think this is our specialty," Dean said.

They waited a little while longer, and then finally Alec opened the door and ran out, looking just as cocky as he used to. "Better get your earplugs, because I can talk again," Alec said. His voice was barely a whisper, but he and Dean both smiled at hearing their little brother talking again.

* * *

"Dean?" Ben asked, poking his cheek as he slept on the sofa.

"What?" Dean grumbled. He was worn out; he was taking care of his brothers, researching things for Dad, and trying to keep up in school all at the same time, and he'd been doing this for over two months. He was exhausted. Not only was Dad keeping him up half the night looking through random, old books, but Ben had to be at school by 7 in the morning for his math club, Sam stayed late for soccer, and Alec needed almost constant supervision since he was a trouble magnet. He'd tried to get his brother involved in something in school since they were going to be there for a while, but nothing held his interest. He barely had enough time to do his own homework, not that he cared about it, but he didn't want to mess things up for Ben and Sam. They liked school and they didn't want to leave if he got kicked out.

"Um, my teacher said that she needs to talk to Dad," Ben said.

"Dad's not here," Dean said, turning his face into his pillow. "Just tell her he's busy with work."

"She says it's really important," Ben said.

"Is it about your math club thing? 'Cause if it is, I'll sign whatever permission form or whatever," Dean muttered.

"No…I think it's about Alec," Ben said. "She's always yelling at him, but I swear, Alec hasn't been acting out or anything. He just gets bored sometimes, but it's not his fault. We learned all this a long time ago and he can only sit still for so long."

"Alright, alright," Dean grumbled, pushing himself up and running his hand down his face. "When does she want to talk to Dad?"

"Today after school," Ben said. "Are you gonna call Dad?"

"No…I'll figure something out," Dean said. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 6:30," Ben said.

"Where does the day go…" Dean muttered. "Alright, who do you want to wake up…Sam or Alec?"

"Sam," Ben quickly replied, running to Sam's tiny bed. They were bunking in a little shack with one tiny bed, a slightly bigger bed that Alec and Ben shared, and a lumpy sofa where he usually crashed. At least the place had running water and electricity.

He chuckled since he knew what Ben was doing. He was trying to pick the easier brother to wake up, but he had a plan on how to get Alec up today. He'd tried just about everything to get Alec up, but today was going to work.

He got up and walked over to where Alec was curled up like a cat in the middle of the bed. He pulled the covers from his little brother, and he instantly moved so most of his body was under his pillow. He grabbed Alec's pillow and tossed it to the floor. Alec curled into a tighter ball, but he gripped his little brother under his shoulders and pulled him off of the bed and into his arms.

Alec pushed against his chest and grumbled, "Put me down. 'M too big to be carried…"

"Alec, you're 12 now," Dean said. "And if you'd get up when I told you to, then I wouldn't carry you."

"Ok, put me down and I'll get ready," Alec said.

"You better promise you're gonna get ready instead of just falling asleep again," Dean said.

"I can still sleep in your car though, right?" Alec asked. "Otherwise, I'll just walk to school…"

"Yeah, you can sleep in the car," Dean reassured as he put Alec down. There was no way he was going to let Alec stay here by himself and trust him to wake up in time to walk to school. But there was one good thing from Dad going off and hunting for a couple months; his Dad had given him the Impala so he could drive his brothers around and meet up with him when it was time. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy in his life when Dad gave her to him.

"Ben, can't your stupid math team meet after school?" Alec asked. "Why are you nerds so eager to get up early?"

"Some of them are in other clubs that meet after school," Ben said. "And it's not that early…"

Alec rolled his eyes, "The sun's not even up yet…"

"It will be by the time we get to school," Ben argued.

"Hey, c'mon, brush your teeth, get dressed. We don't have a lot of time," Dean said to get his brothers to stop arguing.

His brothers finally started moving and he worked on finding them breakfast. They didn't have very much left since Dad had been gone for so long, but he could probably go out tonight and hustle some pool. If that didn't work, then he'd just have to go with the trusty five-fingered discount. He wasn't going to let his brothers go hungry.

"Dean, Alec's hogging the bathroom," Ben whined.

"Hurry up Alec! Or else you're going with Ben to his club," Dean called out.

"Untwist your panties. I'm done," Alec grumbled.

He sighed; at least this was going to be the hardest part. Once he got his brothers to school, he could just relax for a while. He might even be able to take a nap during second period…

He almost forgot that he had to figure something out for Alec and Ben's teacher, but in the end, he decided he'd just meet with her and try to come up with a good reason why Dad couldn't meet with her instead.

He reluctantly walked down the hall towards his little brothers' classroom, and lightly knocked on the door once he was there. Their teacher was an older woman, with big glasses and gray, curly hair. She scowled at him when he walked in, so he said, "Um, I'm Dean Frey…my brother told me you needed to talk to someone…"

"I need to speak with your father, young man," she said.

"He's working…and he can't leave," Dean said, trying not to get mad at her just yet.

"Well, this is a very serious thing that I need to talk to him about, so if you could let him know-"

"He can't come, so you can either talk to me or you can just get over whatever's wrong," Dean said. Whatever this was, it probably wasn't a big deal. Alec had kept a low profile since the fight at their first school, and he doubted he would do something to draw attention now.

"Fine, have a seat Mr. Frey," she said. He walked over and sat down in front of her desk. He finally saw a nameplate that said Mrs. Cheston. She stood up and looked down her nose at him. "I want to start by saying Ben is an excellent student. He turns his work in on time, participates in class, does excellent work…I just wish his brother was as good of a student."

"Alec just has a short attention span," Dean tried to defend, guessing that he was probably disrupting her class with jokes and maybe walking around when he wasn't supposed to.

"He's a disruption to the other students and he's cheating on his work," Mrs. Cheston stated.

"Cheating…" Dean muttered in disbelief. "You can't be serious, right?"

"He hasn't missed a question on any of his work, but he also never pays attention in class or reads his assignments. There's no other explanation to how he could be receiving these scores. And since he and Ben are brothers, I'm assuming he's cheating off of his brother," Mrs. Cheston said.

"He's not cheating," Dean said. "He already knows all of this. He's one of the smartest people I know."

"Then explain to me why his work matches his brother's word for word," Mrs. Cheston said. She didn't wait for him to answer though, she just kept going. "He hasn't missed an answer. And with the way he doesn't pay attention in class, it's pretty unbelievable that he just happens to know the information."

"Well, he does," Dean snapped. "Both of them do. Whatever you're teaching, it's too easy for them. Alec's disrupting class because he's bored! It's not his fault that you're a crappy teacher!"

"Young man-"

"Is this all you wanted to talk about?" Dean asked incredulously, standing up to tower over her. "I have things to do, lady. My little brother has a soccer game and I gotta take my other two brothers over to the field before they get bored and wander off. If there's a real problem, like say, my little brother forgot to take his pills and is having a seizure in the middle of class, then you can call me or my Dad. But leave Alec alone. He's not stupid. He's actually a lot smarter than you will ever be."

Mrs. Cheston's mouth popped open in shock, but he didn't care. He was done with this conversation, and he was done with this ignorant woman. They wouldn't even be at this stupid school for very much longer. Luckily, Dad was supposed to come back in another day or two, so they should be hitting the road by next week. He'd just let the boys have a few days off because he was not having Alec come back to this place.

He stalked to the door without a backward glance, but broke into a smile when he saw Ben and Alec sitting in the hall with a look of awe on their faces.

"That was one of the coolest things you've ever done!" Alec exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He ran over to him and grabbed his hand, and Ben immediately followed his lead and grabbed his other hand. His little brothers rarely did that now that they were 12. Alec had decided they were too old for that kind of thing now, but he still broke down and cuddled with him every time he had a nightmare. "I wish I could've seen the look on her old face! Was she shocked? Was she mad? I bet she was mad. Did her cheeks get all red? Did she growl at you?" Alec asked as fast as he could.

He chuckled, "She was shocked, Alec. She didn't know what hit her."

"Oh man! I wish I could've seen that!" Alec said excitedly. "Dean, you're the coolest brother ever!"

He couldn't help his wide smile at hearing that, and his smile only got bigger when he looked over at Ben and saw the admiration in his eyes. The only thing that made this whole thing better, was when Alec and Ben reenacted the entire conversation for Sam. He didn't think he'd ever stop smiling.

* * *

Ben woke up to the sound of a slight rustle of clothing. He looked around, expecting to see Alec getting into Dean's bed since that was what his brother did when he had nightmares, but he was only half right. It was Alec who was moving, but he wasn't getting into Dean's bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ben asked, keeping his voice down so he wouldn't wake up Sam or Dean.

Alec rolled his eyes, but continued to put his boots on. "I'm going out."

"Alec, you know Dean will be pissed if he wakes up and finds that you aren't here," Ben said.

"Which is why I'm leaving a note," Alec said like it was obvious. "He knows I have too much energy to sleep. It'll be fine."

"Then…where are you going?" Ben asked, slowly getting up.

"I told you, I'm going out," Alec hedged. He knew his brother too well to know that he was hiding something from him, and he knew he wouldn't like whatever it was.

He sighed, "Just tell me. It'll be easier than me following you."

"You're not gonna like it," Alec said with a small smirk, walking over and grabbing his jacket.

"How did you find a fight club here? We've only been in this town for two days," Ben said. He couldn't believe his brother. He literally went looking for trouble in every town they stayed in.

Alec broke into a wide smile, like he was proud of the way he could find trouble, and said, "I'm just that good."

"Alec, let me point a few things out to you. One, you're 12, and 12-year-olds should not be part of underground fight clubs. It looks really suspicious for someone your age and your size to be able to easily beat up a grown man."

"More than one," Alec cut in. "I can beat up more than one at a time, and you know that."

He glared at his brother and continued like he'd never said anything. "Two, Manticore is still looking for us. Don't you think a 12-year-old who can beat up grown men is a little suspicious?" He gave Alec a second to answer, but his brother just scuffed his boot on the ground and avoided eye contact with him. "Fine, since that's not enough I'll move onto three. Sam, Dean, and Dad. They're going to be pissed at you when they find out!"

"Then they won't find out," Alec said, turning and heading for the door.

"Alec, we had a deal," Ben said. "You said I'd go with you if you wanted to fight again."

Alec huffed, but then said, "Fine, but hurry up, we don't have all night."

"Hold on…I have to find my shoes…" Ben muttered.

Alec groaned, and dramatically flopped onto the sofa. They both gasped and looked up when the door suddenly opened, and their Dad walked in. He looked around the room, but frowned when his eyes landed on them. "Boys…goin' somewhere?"

"Felt like a run," Alec said at the same time he said, "Needed some air."

Dad chuckled and shook his head, "C'mon, tell me what's goin' on."

Again they spoke at the same time. "There's just this underground fight club, and it's really cool and you can win a lot of money if you're good and I'm really good, so this could really help," Alec said. At the same time he said, "It's a bad idea and I was trying to talk him out of it, but you know how Alec is. It's dangerous and stupid and we definitely aren't doing it."

Dad's eyebrow's rose and he said, "Boys, stop. You know I don't know what you're saying." He looked between them, and then said, "Ben, go."

"It's an underground fight club," Ben said.

"But it pays good money," Alec cut in before he could tell Dad how dangerous it was. "Lots of money. I got over a thousand the last time I did it."

"What's with all the yelling?" Dean grumbled, turning in his bed to look over at them. Dad flicked on the light, causing Dean to flinch and Sam to groan in annoyance. "Dad…" Dean whined.

Dad ignored him though and looked back to them. "What do you mean by underground fight club?"

"It's a secret place," Alec said. "It's kinda shady and probably illegal, but they give out cash to the winners."

"Where?" Dad asked.

"Whoa, wait," Dean said, sitting up and looking at them. "What are you talking about? What underground fight club?"

Dad waved Dean off and asked, "Alec, do you know where it is?"

"Yes sir," Alec said softly.

"How do you know where it is?" Dean asked at the same time Dad said, "Alright, c'mon kiddo, we're goin' for a ride."

Alec immediately smiled and ran over to Dad and grabbed his hand. "Alec…" Ben said, stopping his brother.

"Dad, what're you doing?" Dean asked.

"Everyone just relax," Dad said. "Alec's just going to show me where it's at, and I'm going to try to get in and win us some money."

"What? No! I wanna fight," Alec said, looking up at Dad.

Dad rested his hand on top of Alec's head and ruffled his hair, "No way, kiddo. Not tonight."

"But Dad, you know I'm good!" Alec argued. "I can win twice as much as you can because I'm an oddity. People pay good money to watch a kid fight."

"People are sick," Dad said with a small smile, thinking Alec was joking.

"What's going on?" Sam asked sleepily.

"Nothing," Alec grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can we all go?" Ben asked. It was the only way he would know for sure if Alec was fighting or not. He trusted his Dad and he trusted his brother, but sometimes fighting and money became too much of a focus for them both. And he knew if he and Alec were going, then Dean and Sam would want to go too. He might as well just go ahead and get them all going.

Dad picked Alec up and said, "Yeah, if you wanna go, we're leaving in five." Sam and Dean jumped into motion, getting dressed and pulling on shoes while he ran ahead so he could keep up with Dad and Alec. He wanted to make sure they didn't just take off without him. "Do you wanna ride with me or Dean?" Dad asked Alec.

"You're going to let me ride up front?!" Alec asked in surprise.

"Well yeah," Dad said. "There's only a front seat in the truck."

"Awesome! Dean never lets me ride up front," Alec said.

"Dad, he's not big enough yet," Dean said as he walked out the door, shrugging into his jacket. "I read something that said he has to be a certain height to sit up front…" He loved Dean; his brother had immediately looked into how old they had to be and how tall they should be as soon as Alec asked if he could ride up front with him. Dean just wanted to make sure they were safe, and that made him feel good.

"He's 12, Dean," Dad said. "You were riding up front when you were 9."

"Dad-"

"I'll just ride with Dean," Alec muttered, wiggling to get free from Dad's hold. Dean rarely argued with Dad, that was usually Sam, but he and Alec didn't like it when any of them argued. Whenever Sam and Dad fought, they usually snuck out and either hung out on a roof or walked around the block to get away from it. Dean tried to mediate, but Sam and Dad usually couldn't hear him over their shouting. He and Alec hated the shouting; their hearing was too sensitive and it reminded them of the CO's back at Manticore, always shouting and giving orders. It was just better to sneak off and hang out for a while before they snuck back in.

"Dean, I guess you're leading the way," Dad said. "Alec, next time you can ride with me."

Alec smiled and nodded before he got into the backseat with him. There was no going back now…

* * *

 _More soon..._


	30. Chapter 30

He hated the place as soon as they got there. It was dirty and dark and everyone inside looked a lot bigger than them. He stuck like glue to Alec's side, afraid that if they got separated, then something bad would happen to his brother. Sam and Dean stayed close to them too, probably afraid of the same thing that he was.

"Alec…I don't like this place," Ben whispered, quickly side-stepping a puddle of something on the floor before getting back to Alec's side.

Alec scowled at him and said, "Why not? This place is fantastic."

"It's dirty, dark, scary, everyone is bigger than us…do you want me to keep going?" Ben asked.

"It's not that dirty, your eyesight makes it so it's not that dark, only like two things should actually ever scare you, and c'mon Ben, I know you can kick everyone's ass that's in here except for maybe me," Alec shot back. "Don't rain on my parade. I like it."

"Just remember, no fighting," Ben stressed. "We talked about how weird it is for a kid to beat up grown men, so don't do it."

"Yeah, we'll see," Alec said, turning away from him.

"Alec, I mean it," Ben said. He reached out and grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him back.

"If someone makes a move against me, I'm gonna take them out," Alec stated. "Besides, you know we need the money."

"That doesn't mean you need to make it," Dean suddenly said. "You're not fighting and that's final." Alec rolled his eyes and started to walk away again, but Dean grabbed his arm this time and said, "I mean it Alec, no fighting."

"Or what?" Alec challenged. "You gonna ground me? Make me sit out on hunts? Send me off to Bobby's again? I don't care, Dean. You went without food yesterday so me, Ben, and Sam could eat. We need money and I can get us money."

"You don't need to worry about money. That's my job," Dean said, kneeling down in front of Alec. "Besides, I wasn't hungry yesterday. If I was, then I would've eaten."

"You're lying," Alec said. "You're not supposed to lie to me. I don't trust easily, remember?"

"If there was a problem, I would tell you," Dean said, putting his hands on Alec's shoulders. "If we needed money, then I would be fighting."

"You hustle pool," Alec pointed out. "And you fill out forms for credit cards."

"That's how we make money," Dean said.

"And now this can be how we make money, and I'm good at fighting and I can help," Alec said.

"The answer's no," Dean said as he stood up again. "And yeah, I'll ground you if I find you fighting, which means no hunts, no arcade, and no fighting. No leaving the motel except for school and that's it."

"Fine," Alec grumbled.

"Keep an eye on him," Dean whispered to him. "Come find me if he starts something."

He quickly nodded, but then asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Dad again," Dean said. "I'm going to tell him we're leaving because 12-year-olds should be in bed right now, not in underground fight clubs." He nodded again, but when he looked back to his brother he groaned when he saw he was gone. "Dammit Alec…" Dean breathed out. "Ok, we'll spread out. You find him, grab him and don't let go."

* * *

Dean was going to be pissed, and so were Sam and Ben, but it didn't matter. He knew Dean went without so they could still eat, so they could have something to wear, or somewhere to stay, and he could do something about it, so he was going to. He could fight, win them some money, and then Dean wouldn't have to worry so much. It would be worth being grounded for a month to win some money for his brother. Dean took care of them, it was only right that he returned the favor.

He scanned the area to try to find the guy in charge. He knew a lot about these places since he'd spent a lot of time in the fight club back at Bobby's. If he could find the guy in charge, he could convince him to let him fight, and then he could win some money before his brothers figured out where he was. Then he would accept the punishment. It would be worth it as long as he could help out a little.

He finally spotted a sleazy looking guy counting a pile of money over by a makeshift ring. He ran over to him and waited until he looked at him.

"What?" The sleaze asked, barely looking up from counting his money.

"I want to fight," Alec stated. "And before you go on about how I'm too young and you don't let kids fight, think again. I can make you twice what you're holding in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes for one fight, kid? Are you crazy?" Sleaze asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Ten minutes for…seven fights," Alec said. "Give or take one or two depending on how fast you can get them in the ring."

"You're serious…" Sleaze muttered.

"Yeah, I'm serious. I look serious, don't I?" Alec countered. "And I want 50% of what you make."

"50?! Try 30," Sleaze said.

"50," Alec replied. "Trust me, you'll still make twice of what you're holding."

"You're what? 10?" Sleaze asked.

"12, but it doesn't matter. I can fight and I'm good. You want to win money or not?" Alec asked. "You have 30 seconds before I walk."

"Fine. Get in the ring, but don't come cryin' to me when you get your ass kicked," Sleaze said.

He rolled his eyes and walked into the ring. "I get 50%. I'll know if you give me less than I deserve. Pay attention, because after I'm done, you'll know that I can kick your ass too, and then I'll take all the money, got it?"

"Prove you can do this, and I'll give you what you've earned," Sleaze said.

"Just keep 'em coming," Alec said. "I'll only have ten minutes before my brothers figure this out and try to stop it."

"If your brothers kick my ass for this, you're not getting anything," Sleaze said.

"Whatever, you wanna do this or not?" Alec asked.

"Just get in there," Sleaze said. "I'll try to find some guys dumb enough to fight you."

He nodded and went into the makeshift ring. He knew it wouldn't take long for the guy to find some people for him to fight. People were sick and liked to try to beat up a kid. And then when he showed them just how good he was, more wanted a shot to try to beat him down. The problem was going to be when his brothers figured out where he was. Dad didn't want him to fight either, but he knew he could convince Dad that this was a good idea. He wouldn't be able to convince Dean.

He took a deep breath, and got into a fighting stance as soon as the first guy walked into the ring. It was child's play to take him out, and then the next one was there and people were starting to get interested in what was going on again.

He finished off three more guys before he caught sight of Sam standing across the ring from him. That was ok, he was expecting his brothers to show up. But now he didn't have very much time before they put a stop to this. Maybe Dean didn't know what he was doing yet.

He took a hard punch across his cheek since he was distracted now, but he wasn't distracted enough to lose this fight. He knocked the guy out, and breathed out in relief when the next one was sent in.

He saw Ben trying to get into the ring while he took on his sixth opponent. Two guys held his brother back, but he took a hard hit to his side since he was paying more attention to what was going on with his brother than what was going on in this fight.

He punched the guy hard, making him collapse, and then he walked over to the edge of the ring where Sleaze was watching with wide eyes.

"Give me my half. I'm done," Alec said.

"Holy shit, kid," Sleaze breathed out.

"I know, I'm awesome," Alec muttered. "Can I have my money now or do I need to take it from you?"

The guy counted out his half, and even threw in an extra hundred. He gave the guy a nod of thanks before he walked over to where Ben was waiting for him. Sam and Dean ran up after a second, both wearing looks of concern and just a little bit of anger.

"Here," Alec said, pushing the pile of money against Dean's chest and letting go so he had to take it. "I know I'm grounded, but that should last us a month." Dean just stared back at him, so he said, "I'm going to go find Dad. He can give me a ride back to the motel."

"Alec-" Dean started, but he cut him off.

"I wasn't too little at Manticore to kill a man. I wasn't too little to get shot. I wasn't too little to get my bones broken. And I wasn't too little to be tortured," Alec said. "So, I'm not too little to fight and make some money, and I'm not too little to ride up front." He turned away from his brothers and disappeared in the crowd before any of them could stop him.

* * *

He sat at the edge of his bed and waited for his Dad and his little brother to get back. Sam and Ben were both asleep in the other bed, but he couldn't sleep. He bounced his leg up and down and ran his hand through his hair as he waited.

His job was to protect his brothers and take care of them, but he'd failed. He couldn't provide for them. Alec knew he couldn't provide for them. Alec had fought, gotten hurt, and won them enough money for a month. This hurt. He used to be good at taking care of his brothers, but now he was a failure.

He jumped up as soon as the door opened, and Dad walked in carrying Alec, who was sleeping against his shoulder.

"Here, I can take him," Dean whispered, reaching out to take Alec. Dad passed him over, and he gently put Alec in bed and tucked him in. He frowned seeing a bruise forming on Alec's cheek and he quickly went over to the bathroom and grabbed some washcloths. He'd gotten ice earlier, so he made up some ice packs and went back to Alec. He lifted Alec's shirt and saw his ribs were bruised too, just like he'd thought. He put some ice on his little brother's ribs and then held the other ice pack on Alec's cheek.

"How much did he make?" Dad asked.

"A little over 500," Dean muttered.

"That much?" Dad asked, the surprise clear in his tone. "Damn, he's definitely doing that again. I only made 200."

"Dad-"

"I don't need to hear how dangerous it is for him to do this," Dad cut off. "I know Manticore could find him and I know he could get hurt doing this, but this can really help us out. Hustling pool and credit card fraud isn't cutting it and you know it. We've got the twins now, and you know I love those boys to death, but they're growin' like weeds and they can eat more than you, me, and Sam combined. We need more money, and Alec can get us the money."

"I'll fight, Alec doesn't need to fight," Dean said. "I can go every night if I need to. Manticore won't care that an 18-year-old is taking people down for money."

"Alec's good," Dad said. "How long did it take for him to earn that money?"

"Maybe ten minutes…" Dean muttered.

"I was fighting for most of the night once you boys left," Dad said. "Alec can win us over twice that in a lot less time. It makes sense for him to fight if he wants to."

"But Manticore could find us again," Dean tried.

"We'll move around more," Dad said. "It'll piss Sam off, but we've been stayin' in one spot for too long as it is."

"So, you want him to do this," Dean said.

"I'm not going to stop him," Dad said. He started for the bathroom, but then said, "Just make sure you go with him. He could get jumped after one of the fights or Manticore could show up…I just want one of you boys with him when he fights. I'll go when I can, but I won't always be able to."

He just nodded since he didn't want to argue with his Dad. He didn't want Alec to fight and he didn't want his Dad to encourage him to fight, but he didn't know what else to do. So, he just nodded.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Dad said. "We'll hit the road in the morning."

He nodded again and waited for Dad to close the door before he shook Alec's shoulder.

"What?" Alec mumbled sleepily.

"Will you tell me when you're going to fight?" Dean asked quietly.

"Thought you didn't want me to fight…" Alec muttered, still refusing to open his eyes.

"I don't," Dean stated. "But you're not goin' to listen to me."

"Dad wants me to fight," Alec said. "Ben too if he wants to do it."

He swallowed hard and shook his head. "Just tell me when you're going so I can drive you there. Just let me do that."

"I'm not a kid," Alec said, finally opening his eyes.

"I know…I just wish you could be," Dean said.

"Are you mad?" Alec asked.

He took a deep breath, and then let it back out before he replied honestly, "I'm not mad at you."

"But you are mad…" Alec muttered, slowly sitting up. He moved the ice pack that he was holding against Alec's cheek and caught the ice pack that had been against his side. "Dean, I don't want you to go hungry just because we don't have any money."

"I told you that you didn't need to worry about that," Dean said. "I just didn't have time to get more money when we ate. I was going to go tomorrow night to get more."

"I want to help," Alec stressed. "And this is how I can help."

"But you don't need to help," Dean said.

"Dean, we're a family and we look out for each other…I just want to help," Alec said.

"Promise me it won't be every night," Dean said, deciding that he didn't have to like it, but he needed to back Alec up, be there for his little brother. "And if you get hurt, you're done for the night. And you have to let me go with you, no matter what."

Alec nodded, "I promise, Dean. I'll only fight when we need the money or if Dad wants me to, I won't fight when I'm hurt, and you go with me. I promise."

He ruffled Alec's hair and said, "Good. Now, lay down again. You're still going to school tomorrow, which means the ice stays on all night."

Alec flopped back dramatically and groaned, "Oh come on! It's just a little bruise!"

"I don't care," Dean said. "I don't want your teacher thinking one of us is beating on you and they call social services on us."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Alec muttered. "Fine, bring on the ice!"

He chuckled and tucked Alec in. Alec gave him a half-hearted glare, so he defended, "Hey, I still get to treat you like a kid until you're a teenager."

"I'm twelve," Alec said.

"So, I've got a little more time," Dean teased.

"Hey Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"When I'm 13, will you teach me how to drive?" Alec asked.

He laughed and shook his head no, "Not until you're 16, kiddo."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

 _more soon..._


	31. Chapter 31

"What are we doing?" Ben asked him, running a little to catch up with him. He'd finally hit his growth spurt and now he was as tall as Dean. Alec and Ben were pissed since they were both still pretty short even though they were almost fifteen now. In all honesty, Dean was pretty unhappy about it too since his big brother couldn't just hold things out of his reach anymore. He loved it though; he was finally able to really help and protect his family.

"We're hanging out," Sam said simply. "Alec and Dean are off doing…I don't know, probably something they shouldn't be doing, so we're going to go somewhere Dean would hate."

"And Alec?" Ben asked. "Would Alec like this?"

"He's going to be pissed that he missed this," Sam said with a smirk.

"Good," Ben replied. Alec had been bugging both of them for the past few days since Dad and Dean had gone on a hunt and left the three of them to go to school. Alec had been bored since he and Ben wouldn't pay attention to him as much as Dean did, but now that Dean was back, Alec wasn't bored anymore, and they could do whatever they wanted for a while.

Besides, he wanted to spend as much time with his brothers that he could since he didn't know what was going to happen next year.

"So, where are we going?" Ben asked.

"You'll see," Sam said.

"I know you think Alec's the only one who will die from not knowing what's going on, but me and my brother have the same blood, so I need to know what's going on too," Ben said.

He chuckled and pushed Ben over, "Fine, we're going to the amusement park."

"Seriously?!" Ben asked in excitement.

"Yeah," Sam said. "I won some tickets off the radio and thought you might like it."

"Alec's gonna be so pissed he missed this! This is the best day ever!" Ben said, shooting him the biggest smile he'd ever seen on his little brother's face.

"Just don't rub it in too much," Sam said, unable to hold off his laughter. "I don't think I can win more tickets and I don't want Alec to get it in his head that he can break in here."

"I'll wait until he starts being annoying again," Ben said.

"Great…that'll be as soon as we get back," Sam teased.

Ben laughed and nodded in agreement, "He'll deserve it. He's going to brag about whatever he and Dean are doing right now and you know it."

"Yeah, you're right," Sam said. "C'mon, let's get to riding roller coasters."

* * *

"Tell me everything," Alec demanded. "I've been stuck with the two biggest nerds all weekend, I need to hear some action and blood and gore! Tell me everything about the hunt."

"It wasn't that exciting," Dean said with a laugh. "Quick and easy salt and burn."

"Then how come I didn't get to go too?" Alec challenged.

"Because it was too easy. You would've been bored on the hunt too," Dean said. He walked around to the trunk of the Impala and grabbed some tools. Alec trailed behind him, practically shaking with unused energy.

"You gonna let me help fix whatever's wrong with the Impala?" Alec asked, deciding to move onto his next topic.

"We'll see," Dean said.

"Oh, c'mon Dean!" Alec groaned. "I always help you!"

He shoved his little brother and messed up his hair. "It's too easy to mess with you, of course you're gonna help."

Alec scowled at him as he ran his hand through his hair to fix it. "Maybe I don't want to help…"

"Alright," Dean said with a shrug. "I can fix her myself." He walked back to the front, and waited to see if Alec would follow him, but his little brother stayed right where he was. "I _was_ thinking maybe I'd teach you a thing or two about driving…"

"Really?" Alec instantly asked, running over to him. "You were going to teach me how to drive?! I'm not even 15 yet! I thought you were gonna wait until I was 16…"

"You want me to change my mind?" Dean asked.

"No!" Alec quickly replied. "I'm just surprised…"

"Well, when you think about it, most kids get their permit at 15 so…"

"You're awesome!" Alec exclaimed, throwing his arms around him in a tight hug.

He chuckled and said, "Just don't brag too much about it to Ben."

Alec released him and gave him a huge smile, "I promise. I'll be way less annoying than usual."

"Alright, but we need to fix her before you learn," Dean said. Alec nodded and looked at him expectantly. His little brother frowned though when he held out the tools for him to take instead of starting the work himself.

"What…"

"You're gonna fix her this time," Dean said.

"Dean, no, I don't wanna mess this up," Alec replied, taking a step back from him.

He grabbed Alec's arm to keep him from disappearing and pulled him closer. "Don't freak out," Dean said. "I'm not goin' anywhere, I'm just letting you use the tools and I'll hand them to you. If you don't know what to do, then I'll help you. But it's not that hard, which you know because you've seen me do this a million times."

"I…I don't know…" Alec mumbled.

"Alec, c'mon," Dean urged. "Just try. You're not gonna break her."

Alec finally nodded, and it was almost funny how easily his little brother fixed his car. Alec had been watching him fix the Impala since they first found him, so it was really a no-brainer to have him fix this. His little brother looked to him for approval, and he nodded back, unable to keep the proud smile from his face.

He ruffled Alec's hair and asked, "You ready to learn how to drive now?"

He'd never seen his little brother look so happy in his whole life.

* * *

They ate junk food and rode every ride twice. Ben couldn't remember having a better day in his life. There were only two times he'd ever felt better and that was when he'd first found out he had a little brother and when he and Alec had been accepted into the family. They still had a lot of good days, but it was rare when he actually got to feel like a kid. Today, he felt like he really was fourteen years old, just hanging out with his older brother.

"So, what should we do next?" Sam asked as they went around on the Ferris wheel. "Ride the roller coaster again or get a funnel cake?"

"Roller coaster," Ben said.

Sam laughed and nodded in agreement before he asked, "What do you think Alec and Dean are doing?"

He shrugged, "I don't know…maybe Alec talked Dean into getting him a motorcycle…" Unfortunately, it wasn't too far of a stretch. He knew Dean wasn't going to teach him and Alec to drive for another year or two, but Alec was way too convincing when he wanted to be, and his little brother had decided he wanted a motorcycle.

"Dean's not getting Alec a motorcycle," Sam said in amusement. "For one, they're too expensive."

"That wouldn't stop Alec," Ben said. "He's got enough money saved up to buy six motorcycles."

"How did he get so much money?" Sam asked, actually sounding surprised. Even after all this time, Sam was still always surprised whenever he heard whatever new scheme Alec was cooking up.

"Sam, it's Alec," Ben said with a small laugh. "He's been making money for years now. He's got a huge stash at Bobby's house, and there's some hidden somewhere in the Impala. Probably in Dad's truck too…" Sam shook his head, but he was laughing quietly to himself. He didn't want to ruin this great day, but he had to know something. "Sam?"

"Yeah buddy?" Sam asked.

"Are you really planning on leaving?" Ben asked.

"What?" Sam asked back, his eyes wide in shock.

"I found some flyers for college…" Ben explained. "And I know you aren't graduating until next year, but…I just wanted to know…"

"Ben…I…it's never gonna happen," Sam said. "We're never in one spot long enough for me to actually get accepted anywhere. And Dad would never let me go…Besides, I don't have any money saved up for it."

"Sam…if you want to go, then I'm sure there's a way," Ben said. "You shouldn't just give up because we don't have any money. Alec has money. He'll be more than happy to give you some."

"Ben, I'm not going to take Alec's money," Sam said, giving him a sad smile. "And…I can't leave you guys. You're my little brothers and I can't just abandon you."

He took a deep breath before he said, "You wouldn't be abandoning us. You would be doing something that you wanted to do. When was the last time you actually did something just for you?"

"It's not that simple," Sam said. His brother gasped suddenly and asked, "Does Alec and Dean know?"

He shook his head, "I didn't tell them, so I don't think they know. They could've seen the flyers, but I don't think they did."

"Don't tell them, please," Sam begged. "I'll tell them eventually, I just don't know how to do it yet."

"I won't tell," Ben whispered. They were both quiet until they got off the ride. He hadn't wanted to ruin the day, but he did feel better knowing what exactly was going on with his brother. "You'll tell me, right? If you do get accepted…"

"I'll tell you," Sam said. "But don't hold your breath…it's not going to happen."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ben said before he teased, "Especially since Dean drilled it into our heads that you're the biggest nerd in the whole world."

"Shut up," Sam half-heartedly grumbled, pushing him over.

He laughed and pushed his brother back. "C'mon, I wanna ride the roller coaster again before we have to leave."

Sam laughed too and led the way through the park.

* * *

"Ok, this time, try to go slower," Dean breathed.

He rolled his eyes; his big brother had wanted to teach him how to drive and now he was being a big baby about it. So what the first time he tried he accidently floored it and almost hit the light pole, and now his brother was trying not to freak out.

He pressed on the gas, making the car jump and his brother squeak in shock.

"Slower! Slower!" Dean yelled.

"I don't know how!" Alec yelled back.

Dean took a deep breath and let it out before he said, "Ease off the gas." He did what he was told, and thankfully, the car slowed down. "Ok, ok, good," Dean said with a nod. "Just try to stay at this speed for a while."

He calmed down a little and actually managed to keep the car on the road and at a steady speed. He did good until he came up to a stop sign and had no idea what to do.

"Hey, hey, hey," Dean said in panic. "You need to slow down."

"How?" Alec asked.

"Move your foot to the brake," Dean said. His brother had gone over all of this before he'd gotten behind the wheel, but it had disappeared once he started the car. "Alec! Brake!" Dean yelled.

He stomped on the brake, causing both of them to lurch forward, but luckily, the car stopped. "I can't do this," Alec said once they were stopped.

"You're already doin' it," Dean argued. "You just need to relax. And remember to stop."

He took a deep breath and slowly started driving again. He felt a little better now, and after another hour, he was driving better than Sam could. Dean ever said he was driving better than Dad.

"What do you think Sam and Ben are doing?" Alec asked, feeling comfortable enough to have a conversation while he drove.

"Something nerdy…probably went to a bookstore or something," Dean said with a smirk.

He chuckled, and then glanced over at his big brother, "Thanks Dean…"

"Eyes on the road, kiddo," Dean said with a proud smile.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	32. Chapter 32

_Logan, I can't reply to you directly, but thank you so much for your review! I love the idea! I couldn't figure out how to get to that part of the story (trying not to spoil it) and I've written and rewritten it over and over again, but it just clicked thanks to you!_

 _I hope everyone likes the story still. There's quite a bit left, so I hope you all decide to stick with it! Ok, back to the story now..._

* * *

Alec sighed as he flopped back on the bed. He was bored, which sucked, but what was worse was being left behind while Sam, Dean, and Dad went hunting. The only good thing about all this was that Ben was stuck with him.

They were grounded, which was stupid. They were transgenics; they should never be grounded. But he'd gone too far. He'd gone on a hunt without permission and Ben had gone with him to watch his back. It was completely unfair too because the hunt had been so easy, he could've done it with his eyes closed. They hadn't gotten a scratch on them and they'd completed the hunt in record time.

But he had let it slip later that night when Sam and Dean had been going on and on about what a great day they'd had scouting out the next hunt without them. Dad had only needed two of them to go with him, and he always took Dean. And since Dean could never choose between him and Ben, he'd picked Sam. He always picked Sam.

They had been bragging about all they had found out and how it was going to be a great hunt and how they had really missed out. He knew they were just messing with him and trying to get a rise out of him, and he fell for it anyway. He'd shrugged it off and said it didn't matter since he'd gone on a real hunt just a few hours ago.

He really got his ass chewed out that night. They just didn't understand; he knew what he was doing, he'd researched everything beforehand, he had backup, and it was the easiest salt-and-burn in the history of salt-and-burns. And he was 15, almost 16, for cryin' out loud!

His family just made a big deal about everything even though they didn't need to. He hadn't even had to convince Ben to come with him. He'd mapped out the entire hunt to his brother and explained that he was going with or without him, and Ben had just gone with him.

But it didn't matter. They were in trouble and they were grounded for two months, which meant they were going to miss multiple hunts and were barely allowed to leave their motel room.

Alec sighed again, trying to sound as dramatic as possible. Ben was reading, which was annoying him; Ben should be as bored as he was, but instead he was reading and he was ignoring him. He sighed even louder, and looked over at his brother. "What?" Ben asked without looking up.

"I'm bored…" Alec said.

"No kidding," Ben replied, still reading his book.

"You want to go with me to go get a candy bar?" Alec asked.

"We're not supposed to leave the room," Ben said.

"We can leave and come back before they know it," Alec argued. "C'mon, don't you want to get some fresh air?"

"No," Ben muttered.

"Well, I'm going," Alec said, standing up and looking for his boots. "You can come with me if you want…or you can stay here, reading your book…"

"Alec, we're not supposed to leave," Ben said, looking at him for the first time.

"I'll be right back," Alec said. He smiled when he found his boots under the sofa, and slowly started to pull them on. He knew if he waited long enough he could get Ben to go with him.

"Alec…" Ben said with a sigh. He smirked since he knew his brother was about to cave. "Fine. We'll run to the store really quick, and then we'll be back before Sam, Dean, and Dad come back."

"It'll be five minutes. Tops," Alec reassured.

Ben rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'm going to regret this…"

* * *

"Could you just hurry up and pick one?" Ben growled. Why did his brother have to make everything so complicated? He'd already grabbed the candy bar he wanted, but Alec couldn't decide between the Hershey's bar and the Snicker's bar. "Or just buy both of them. I want to get back before we get into more trouble."

"It's gonna be fine," Alec muttered. "You worry too much."

"Alec-"

"Just chill," Alec said, giving him a cocky smile. "We'll be back way before everyone else."

"We shouldn't have left," Ben said.

Alec rolled his eyes and turned back to the candy display. He wanted to tell him to hurry up again, but it suddenly felt like something wasn't right. He looked to his brother and saw that his muscles were tense, and his brother was barely breathing. He looked around to try and find whatever was putting them both on edge, but he didn't see anything out of place.

"4 'o clock," Alec whispered. "Guy with the newspaper is watching us…"

He trusted his brother, so he didn't look to double check. Instead, he looked the other way and spotted another man staring at them. "Got another one on the left," he said, picking up a candy bar so it looked like they were still discussing their candy decisions.

"Are we assuming it's Manticore?" Alec asked.

"Yeah…undercover," Ben said. "Might just be luck that they found us…"

"Either way, what's the plan?" Alec asked.

"We pull the alarm, get all the civilians out," Ben said. "When everyone's moving, you get up to the catwalk. Do you have-"

"I always have my gun on me," Alec cut off, knowing what he was going to ask. He knew Alec had his gun on him, he never left the motel without it, but he had to ask. He had to make sure his brother was going to at least have some protection once they went up against Manticore.

"Ok, you hit as many as you can, but if they spot you, then move," Ben said. "I mean it, Alec, if they spot you either just drop back to the ground or find a new spot. You'll be an easy target up there." He already hated this plan, but this was the best way. He knew they didn't have much of a chance at getting out of this alive, and it was going to hurt, but at least they were going to die together. He knew there was no way they were going back to Manticore. They'd agreed a long time ago that death would be better than going back there.

"I'll be fine," Alec said. "Are you taking them out from down here?"

He nodded, "But you'll cover me while I distract them."

"Do you have your gun on you?" Alec asked in concern.

"When do I ever have my gun on me if we're not on a hunt?" Ben asked back. Unlike Alec, he hardly ever carried his gun unless they were on a hunt. To Alec, the gun meant protection, safety, but to him…he just saw the first man he and his unit had killed. They hadn't killed him with a gun, but he knew he didn't need the gun to kill someone. He was dangerous enough as it was and he didn't want to hurt people unless he absolutely had to.

"Ben-"

"Alec, I'll be fine. I'll take their guns when I take them down," Ben reassured. "And I'll toss you another one when you need it."

Alec took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright…you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Ben muttered.

* * *

He moved as soon as Ben pulled the fire alarm. He jumped and reached up to grab the top of the shelves and pulled himself up. He jumped again and landed on top of the catwalk. He snuck down the catwalk and found a good spot in the shadows where he wouldn't easily be seen. He laid on his stomach and scanned the store for their possible exits and places they could hide if they needed to.

He watched as the civilians left the store, leaving just him and his brother and the manticore soldiers. There were six so far, but he assumed more would come in once they started shooting.

He caught Ben's eyes and nodded to him to tell him he was ready. Ben nodded back and started heading for the closest soldier. He pulled his gun and sighted up one of the guys heading for his brother. He pulled the trigger, and the man crumbled, a hole between his eyes.

His one shot was enough to cause the other soldiers to take cover and pull their own weapons. He saw them scanning the ceiling for him, but so far, he was still invisible. He took out two more soldiers before their aim started to shift to him.

He looked down to make sure Ben was still ok, but found his brother was already looking up at him. 'We need to move,' Ben signed, easily falling back to their second language. They knew seven languages, English was their first, but sign language had become their go-to second language. They sometimes signed more than they spoke aloud.

He nodded and started to get up, but suddenly fell on his back as a bullet tore through his leg. He heard his brother call his name, but then the catwalk shook, the wires snapped, and then he was falling.

* * *

"Alec!" Ben yelled when he saw his brother go down. It didn't look like a life-threatening wound, but it was so much worse when he saw the catwalk that his brother had been on, snap and fall, making his brother tumble to the floor far below. Alec could have landed on his feet, but it wasn't a graceful fall and it looked like he might actually land on his head.

He took off, shooting anyone who got in his way. He felt a burning in his left shoulder, and he quickly turned and shot the man who had just shot him.

He heard his brother's gun as he got closer, and he was relieved for a second, but then he heard it click. Alec was out of ammo. He ran faster, just praying that he would make it in time. He couldn't lose Alec. He knew they probably weren't getting out of here, but it was too soon. It felt like they'd just gotten out of Manticore; he couldn't lose his brother. Not now and not ever.

He rounded the corner and shot the man that was getting too close to his brother.

"Perfect timing," Alec breathed out, dropping his head back against the broken shelves behind him.

"How bad?" Ben asked as he scanned the area for any other threats. Relief was flooding through him at finally seeing his brother, but he didn't look good. He could tell Alec was dizzy since he was squinting slightly, and blood was soaking his jeans. But his leg wasn't gushing, so at least the bullet hadn't hit his femoral artery. They still had time.

"Right leg's out," Alec said. "Head feels a little fuzzy…I think that's what broke the shelves…"

"We need to move," Ben said, keeping his focus on any threats instead of his brother. Alec was hurt, and things would just get worse if he let his guard down. There was just a tiny chance they could still make it out of this, but he had to stay focused for that to happen. "Know any good places to hunker down?"

"Three feet to the right behind these shelves looks like there's an office," Alec said. "Probably a phone in there too so we can call Dad."

He nodded and quickly grabbed the guns from the men they had taken down. He handed one to his brother, but he had to tap Alec's cheek a few times to get him to focus enough to grip the handle. "You need to focus," Ben ordered. "You gotta watch my back, ok?" More like he needed his brother to stay awake so he knew for sure that he was still with him. It probably wasn't a great idea to give Alec a gun while he was only half conscious, but his brother was still the best shot and he knew he'd feel better with one.

"I got it," Alec grumbled, trying to smack his hand away.

"Good," Ben said. He wrapped his arm around Alec's shoulders and hauled him up to a sitting position. He heard Alec's breath catch, but that was the only sign he was in pain.

"Ribs too," Alec breathed out. "At least two on the right side."

He nodded in understanding, and got his brother up the rest of the way. Alec sagged against him, so he urged, "C'mon brother, stay with me."

"I'm good," Alec slurred. He saw his brother's grip tighten on his gun and he stood just a little straighter. It was actually a good sign that his brother was still trying to act fine; his brother was still fighting, so he wasn't going to give up either.

"We'll get to the office, call Dad, and then we just gotta wait this out," Ben said. "We can do this."

"How many do you think are left?" Alec asked when they stopped. He wanted to make sure it was clear before they made a break for the office. It would be better if they just disappeared instead of announcing to everyone that they were hiding in the office.

"Right now I think there's only four left," Ben whispered. "But I'm sure more are on the way. I saw more come in before they shot you, which is why I said we needed to move."

"We're clear on the left," Alec said.

Ben nodded and headed for the office. He shut the door as softly as he could, and then locked it. He helped Alec over to the far side of the room before he picked up the desk and moved it to block the door. He tipped the bookshelf to its side to give them more cover, and then went back to the desk and picked up the phone. He dialed Dad's number, thankful that he'd finally gotten a cell phone even though he refused to get them one. Dean had a cell phone and sometimes Dad left one with Sam, but they never got to have one. Dad thought they were too young even though it would really come in handy right now. Maybe now he and Alec would have a better argument to convince Dad that they needed one.

"Yeah?" Dad asked, not recognizing the number.

"Dad, it's me," Ben said.

"Ben or Alec," Dad asked.

"Ben," he said. Dad could never tell them apart over the phone. "Dad, we're in trouble. Manticore found us. We're holed up in the store across the street from the motel. I don't know if they're watching the motel or not, but we locked ourselves in the office."

"They still there?" Dad asked.

"At least four, but I think more are on the way," Ben said.

"You hurt?" Dad asked.

"Gunshot to the left shoulder. Alec took a bullet to the right leg, hit his head, and has at least two broken ribs on the right side," Ben listed.

"Ok, hang in there, kiddo," Dad said. "Try to stop the bleeding, stay conscious, and do not let anyone in there, understood?"

"Yes sir," Ben replied.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Dad reassured before he hung up.

Ben dropped the phone back to the cradle and went back to his brother. He pulled his belt through the loops of his pants and dropped down next to Alec. "Is that to bite down on or a tourniquet?" Alec asked, eyeing his belt with trepidation.

"Did the bullet go straight through?" Ben asked back.

"No…" Alec muttered.

He took a deep breath and said, "Then it's to bite down on."

"Don't you think I should stay conscious until we get out of here?" Alec asked.

"The longer that bullet stays in there, the more likely you're gonna get an infection," Ben said. "Which means it needs to come out."

"Yeah? And what tools are you gonna use to get it?" Alec challenged. "This bullet's in my thigh which means I'm lucky it didn't already bust my artery. If you go diggin' around in there, you'll probably make me bleed out."

"You're right," Ben said. "But that bullet could move and still hit your artery, which is why we need to get it out."

"This is stupid," Alec said. "All we have is a knife. There's no way you're gonna find it, and even if you do, we don't have any bandages! Just…just wrap it, use the belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, and I'll try not to move."

He didn't want to agree; he wanted to get the bullet out of his brother, so he knew for sure that he was going to be ok, but Alec had some good points. It didn't matter what they decided though, because a moment later they heard footsteps outside their door. He dropped down next to Alec and pulled his brother closer to his side, so they were both under cover. He shrugged out of his jacket and his over shirt, and then folded up his shirt and pressed against Alec's bullet wound. He used his belt and used it to keep his shirt in place before he shrugged back into his jacket.

Alec scowled at him, but thankfully, his brother didn't say anything. They both grabbed their guns and got ready for whatever was coming through that door.

"That bookshelf isn't going to stop bullets, you know that right?" Alec asked.

"They don't want to kill us," Ben whispered. "They want us alive, which is why we were hit in the shoulder and leg. If they wanted to kill us, they would have already."

"Doesn't mean they won't change their minds," Alec said.

"Let's just try to be a little optimistic," Ben said with a small smile.

"Yeah, well, we don't have the best luck…" Alec muttered. Someone jiggled the doorknob, and then slammed against the door. "You think we should just shoot them through the door?" Alec asked. "That desk isn't going to hold them back either…"

"I've got an idea," Ben said, slowly getting up. He picked the desk up again and moved it away from the door.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Alec hissed.

"Trust me," Ben said. "And hold your breath when I tell you."

"What?"

"Alec, just…trust me," Ben said. His brother nodded his agreement as he walked back over and slid down next to him. "They're going to break in, but I'm guessing they're just going to throw some gas in here to try and knock us out. Hold your breath, pretend to be out, and then we'll shoot as many as we can before they drag us out of here. I know we said death would be better than going back there…but I can't lose you, Alec. If they take us, then we'll find a way to get out. We've done it once, we can do it again."

He expected Alec to argue with him, and to tell him that there was no way he was going to let them take him. He was ready for a fight, but surprisingly, he didn't need to be ready. "You're smarter than you look," Alec muttered after a moment.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Alec, we're identical, you know that, right?"

"So I've been told…" Alec said with a smirk.

The doorknob jiggled again, and he knew they were trying to pick the lock.

"You ready?" Ben whispered.

"As I'll ever be…" Alec said, repeating his words from earlier.

He chuckled and pulled his brother over to him again. Ready or not, they were out of time.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	33. Chapter 33

Alec took slow, deep breaths to prepare for holding his breath. His ribs were killing him, but if he didn't hold his breath long enough, then he was going to pass out and leave his brother hanging.

Ben ruffled his hair and gave him a reassuring nod before he slouched down next to him. He leaned against his brother and forced himself to relax. The door lock clicked, and then something was thrown into the room.

He and Ben took a deep breath and held it as gas filled the room. He counted in his head to keep track of how long it had been, hoping the gas would clear out before it got to three minutes. They could hold their breath for four minutes, maybe a little longer, but he wanted to make sure the gas would be cleared before they started breathing again.

Ben held up two fingers to signal that it'd been two minutes. He nodded in agreement and signed, 'What do we do if the gas doesn't clear in time?'

'Hope Dad gets here in time,' Ben signed back.

Well, that wasn't entirely reassuring, but he knew Dad would find them. Even if they went back to Manticore, Dad would find them again.

It was getting close to four minutes, but the gas was only just starting to clear. He started seeing spots, and he knew he couldn't go much longer without air. Ben leaned heavier against him, and he knew his brother needed to breathe just as much as he did.

He heard more gunfire, but it sounded really far away. Ben's hand gripped the front of his shirt, but it fell away and his brother sagged against him. Ben's breath hit his neck, so he knew his brother had passed out.

He held on to consciousness and gripped his gun a little tighter. He wasn't going back to Manticore. He would rather die than go back.

The door suddenly flew open and three men came in wearing gas masks. The gunfire was louder with the door open, but none of the pieces were connecting in his head. It didn't matter anyway. What mattered was taking these guys out and protecting his brother.

He shot two of them before he had to breathe. He took in a breath, but immediately started coughing from the gas. He cried out in pain as electricity shot through him, causing his muscles to seize and making him writhe on the ground.

He felt his grasp on consciousness slipping, but he forced himself to hold on. He had to hold on.

The man who had tasered him suddenly collapsed, and then Dad ran in with Sam and Dean close behind him. Dad started checking the two men he'd just taken out while Sam and Dean ran over to them.

Sam gently lifted Ben off of him and put two fingers against his neck to check his pulse. Sam nodded to Dean, and then picked Ben up and took him out of the room.

He looked up when Dean tapped his cheek and his brother smiled at him when he responded. "Hey kiddo, I'm gonna get you outta here," Dean reassured. He nodded and let Dean pick him up and carry him from the room. He was put back down again once they were outside of the room. Dean checked Ben's patch job, and then checked his pulse. "You're shaking…Do you need your pills?"

He shook his head no and stuttered, "T-tasered."

"Alright, I'm gonna get you to the car," Dean said.

"I-I can w-walk," Alec said, needing to at least appear to be ok.

Dean smiled and shook his head no, "Not on that leg, kiddo."

"F-fine, but I g-get to s-sit up front," Alec said.

"We'll see," Dean said, ruffling his hair. "If Sammy's got Ben up front, then you're in the back."

"Th-that's fair," Alec breathed out.

"Dean, we good?" Dad asked, walking out of the room.

"Yeah," Dean said, carefully picking him up again. He couldn't stop his small groan at the pain the movement caused, and Dean instantly soothed, "It's ok. The car is pretty close, and then we'll take off."

"How far are we going?" Alec asked.

"We're gonna drive for as long as we can," Dean said. "Dad's gonna be about an hour behind us to make sure we aren't being followed." He nodded and leaned against his brother. "Hey, look at that," Dean said. "Looks like you get to sit up front after all."

"Awesome," Alec breathed out with a smile.

"We're gonna get ya patched up," Dean reassured. "Just hang in there."

* * *

"Dean, we need to stop," Sam said. "Ben still won't wake up and he's losing a lot of blood."

"I don't know if we're far enough yet," Dean muttered. He shifted slightly, but froze when Alec groaned. His little brother was sleeping against him, completely drained from everything that had happened. He was driving with one hand, keeping his other arm around his brother. With the way Alec was sitting, keeping his right thigh against the back of the seat, while still leaning against him, it didn't look very comfortable, but his little brother had slept the entire time.

"Either way, we need to stop," Sam said. "He's soaked four rags…every bump we hit…he just starts bleeding more."

"Alright, keep an eye out for a motel," Dean said.

"That was way too close…" Sam said. "They almost got our little brothers. Again! How do they keep finding us?! Whatever we're doing, it's not working! We're going to lose our little brothers!"

"Sam, I know…" Dean replied. They'd almost been too late, but they couldn't think of it like that. They still had their little brothers, they were a little banged up, but they were ok. He rubbed Alec's shoulder and smiled when his little brother moved closer in response. "Call Dad and tell him we're stopping at…the sunrise motel." Sam nodded and called Dad as he pulled into the empty parking lot. "Alec, I gotta get out and get us a room, so I'm just gonna lay you down…" He eased Alec down on the seat, and made sure he wasn't going to fall off before he quickly ran into the office of the motel.

He got them a room at the end, and ran back to move the car closer. He had to lift Alec up to get back in the car, but luckily, Alec woke up a little bit and tried to move on his own. "'M bleeding too much…" Alec mumbled.

"You blacked out?" Dean asked back, knowing the signs of Alec losing too much blood. He hated that he knew this about his little brother, but it did come in handy sometimes.

Alec blinked a few times to get his vision to clear and nodded, "And I've got a fever…infection's starting to set in…"

His gaze snapped to the bloody shirt that was covering his brother's bullet wound. "The bullet didn't go through?!"

"No…"

"Dammit," he breathed out. "Alright…I'll call Dad once we get you inside."

Alec nodded again, so he carefully picked his little brother up and got him out of the car as Sam did the same thing for Ben. Alec wrapped his arm around his neck and tried to take on some of his own weight so he could get the door open, but his brother couldn't keep it up for long.

"Hey, I got this," Dean reassured, hoping his little brother would just relax for a little bit. Since the bullet didn't go straight through, his little brother was about to go through Hell.

"Dean, I'm gonna be alright," Alec said. "It's gonna suck, but it's just a little bullet. No big deal. I just hope it didn't break into multiple pieces…"

"Alec, that's not helping," Dean said. He walked into the motel room after finally getting the door open, and quickly laid Alec on the closest bed, propping him up with a couple of pillows.

"Hey, just put Ben on this bed too," Alec said to Sam when their brother started for the second bed. "Might as well just ruin one bed, right?"

"Alec, we can get new sheets," Sam said.

"Please," Alec said softly.

Sam gave Alec a small smile and gently laid Ben next to him. "I'm gonna get the first aid kit and try to get Ben's shoulder patched up," Sam said, looking at him.

He nodded, "Alright, I'll give Alec the check. Ben said he hit his head pretty hard…"

"And his ribs are broken and he got tasered," Sam added on. "He probably needs some pills…"

"I'm right here," Alec grumbled. "And I'm conscious, so I can hear everything you're saying."

"We know," Dean said with a smirk. "Grab his pills while you're out there and his comfy clothes."

"I'm not a kid anymore," Alec said, sounding just like a kid would.

"Sure, I'll get his jammies for him," Sam teased.

"You two are the worst," Alec said. "Hurry up and patch up my twin so he can defend me."

They both laughed, and then Sam ran out to the car to get their things. He walked over to Alec and sat down next to his hip, careful not to jostle him or Ben too much. "Alright, you know the drill…" Dean said.

"Yeah, and you know you only have about five minutes before I stop cooperating," Alec replied.

"Hey, I thought I got ten minutes," Dean said. Alec relied on him when he was hurt; he didn't really know why his little brother would only let him take care of him, but he wasn't going to question it. He thought it could be because he was the first person Alec trusted after Manticore, not including Ben, but he'd never really asked Alec. He was just happy his little brother would let him take care of him, and as he liked to say, baby him. Alec was the baby of the family, so they couldn't help it that they always tried to take care of him.

"That's what you get for making fun of me," Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting just a little bit.

"How old are you?" Dean challenged with a smirk. Alec glared at him, which made him laugh. He gently ruffled Alec's hair, and then started their routine check when one of them had a concussion. Which Alec did have, so he made a mental note to wake him up every couple hours just to make sure he didn't have any memory loss. He caught Sam's eyes from across the bed and nodded that Alec had a concussion. Sam would definitely remember to wake Alec up when it was time.

He helped Alec get out of his shirt so he could check his ribs, but sighed when he saw his little brother's bruised back and sides. "What happened?" Dean asked, running his fingers down Alec's side.

Alec winced when he hit a particularly painful spot, but said, "We split up…I got up to the catwalk and shot them from there while Ben distracted them from down below. They figured out where I was, so I had to move, but a bullet hit my leg and I fell, and then the catwalk fell and I hit one of the shelves and the ground…I'm a little fuzzy on that part…"

Alec hissed when he hit another tender spot and he said, "Sorry…You've got a couple of cracked ribs along with your broken ones…"

He had to check Alec's hips and back, but as soon as he got to his hips, his hands were quickly pushed away. "Ok, ok, that hurts," Alec said, slightly breathless. "Ice would probably be good…"

He ruffled Alec's hair before he stood up and looked for the ice bucket. "How's Ben doin'?" He asked Sam as he grabbed the bucket.

"I've got the bleeding stopped," Sam said. "I'm gonna wrap it until Dad can look him over."

He nodded his agreement and said, "I'll be right back." He ran out and got the ice, and then ran back before he went to the bathroom and grabbed the stack of washcloths. He sat next to Alec again and said, "C'mon, either roll to your side or your stomach."

Alec groaned as he slowly rolled to his left side. He grabbed another pillow and put it against Alec's chest so he could have something to squeeze if he needed it. He put some ice inside a washcloth and put one against Alec's hips and one on his ribs to try to help with the bruising and the pain. "I gotta check your shoulders and back, ok?" Dean asked. Alec nodded, and he could tell his little brother was losing energy fast. "Hey, try to stay awake, ok? Dad's going to be here soon, and then he's gonna get that bullet out."

"I'm awake," Alec whispered.

"Alright, I'm checking your shoulders," Dean warned. Alec did not do well with surprises when he was hurt. His little brother stiffened when he gently touched his bruised shoulders, but Alec whimpered when he got to his shoulder blades. "More ice?" Dean asked softly. Alec didn't answer, so he looked at his little brother's face and saw that his jaw was clenched against the pain. "Alright, I'm almost done," Dean soothed. "I'm just going to check the rest of your back."

He carefully checked Alec's spine, but found that other than some severe bruising, his little brother was ok. But Alec was shaking from the pain by the time he was done.

"Ok, I'm just going to get some more ice on ya," Dean said. "And then you're takin' some pills, ok? The last thing you need is to have a seizure while Dad's operating on your leg." Alec nodded, so he put more ice on Alec's back, and then helped him get a couple of his pills down. He frowned when he noticed Alec's cheeks were already flushed with fever. "Damn…this infection's gonna be a bitch."

"Yeah…leg's tryin' to heal itself…" Alec mumbled. "Definitely not helping."

The three of them jumped when Sam's phone suddenly started to go off. "Yeah?" Sam asked. He was quiet for a second, and then said, "Yeah, his infection's already pretty bad, and we're out of antibiotics." He wished Sam would just put the phone on speaker so he wouldn't have to figure out what Dad was saying. "Yeah, ok, we'll get him in the tub," Sam said, looking at him. "And I've got the first aid kit from the Impala. I just wrapped Ben's shoulder. I didn't know if you wanted it packed or if we should try to stitch it up, so I just stopped the bleeding and covered it." Sam smiled, so he knew Dad had praised Sam for how he'd handled taking care of their little brother. "Yes sir, we'll be ready."

Sam hung up, and then looked at him and said, "Dad wants us to get him in the tub and start ripping up a sheet for bandages. But he said we need-"

"To boil water and soak 'em first," Dean finished, already knowing what their Dad wanted them to do. Patching each other up had almost become second nature to him. He hated it, but Alec and Ben couldn't go to the hospital, so this was just easier. "I'll get him to the tub, you start boiling the water." He looked to Alec and carefully started to pick him up. "Ok kiddo, you're movin' to the tub, Dad's gonne get here and fix you up, and then you'll have plenty of time to rest up."

"'M I still grounded?" Alec asked.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, you're still grounded."

"Damn…" Alec breathed out, but he had a small smile on his face, knowing he was going to be on bedrest most of that time anyway.

* * *

"Let's just go over this one more time," Alec said, clenching the sides of the tub as hard as he could to try to prepare for the pain that was coming.

Dad reached out and held his hand and said, "I'm gonna cut into the wound to make it a little bigger so I can get the tweezers in there. If I can't find the bullet with the tweezers, then we'll use the retractor so I can get a better view." He shivered knowing he didn't want Dad to use the retractor, but he felt a little bit better hearing the plan again. Dad squeezed his hand and said, "It's gonna be ok, kiddo. I'm gonna get the bullet, and then stitch you up."

"Ok," Alec said with a deep breath. "What if you nick the artery?"

"I'll clamp the bleed, and throw in a stitch," Dad said.

"And if I lose too much blood?" Alec asked.

"Ben's out because he's already lost a lot, so Dean's our backup," Dad said. Dean smiled at him and ruffled his hair to try to get him to calm down.

"Ok, what if-"

"Alec," Dad cut off. "Everything's gonna be alright, ok kiddo. But we've gotta get the bullet out. Your fever's already too high…"

He nodded, but then said, "I need something to bite down on…I don't want to wake Ben up."

Dean gently patted his chest, and left the room for a second. He came back with a belt, which he folded in half and held out to him. "This ok?" Dean asked, his voice gentle. He nodded again and took the belt so he could bite down on it.

"Alec, you gotta stay as still as possible," Dad said. "Sam and Dean are gonna hold you down, but you gotta try not to move."

He took a slow breath and nodded once. He hated this part, but he knew it would be over soon.

His brothers held him in place, and Dad picked up the scalpel and carefully cut into his leg. It burned, but it wasn't terrible. The worst part was coming. He really hoped Dad could get the bullet with the tweezers.

He couldn't help his muscles tensing though as the tweezers went into him. He bit down hard on the belt to keep the small whimper to himself; he knew his family would think his pain was their fault, when it definitely wasn't.

He tried to get away from the pain at one point, but Dean easily kept him down.

"Damn…I can't get it," Dad said. "I touched it once, but then it moved…I'm sorry kiddo, but I've gotta use the retractor."

He nodded in understanding, and gripped the tub a little tighter. He made the mistake of looking when Dad positioned the retractor at his incision. He knew it was a mistake, but he could never stop when he felt like he needed to know what was going on. He felt his stomach flip, and knew it was only a matter of seconds before he was going to throw up so he dropped the belt from his mouth and hit Dean's arm.

Luckily, his older brother knew him, and he knew he was about to lose his lunch. The trashcan was already there, ready for him. He turned and threw up, praying he didn't mess his Dad up with his movement. A wet washcloth was suddenly pressed against his forehead, and one of his brothers rubbed his back to try to help soothe him.

"Alec, I gotta keep goin'," Dad said, his voice thick with regret.

"I kn-know…" Alec breathed out.

"Would it be better or worse if you couldn't see?" Dean asked. He didn't want to answer since he didn't like the truth. He hated giving up his sight, but it would be better for his stomach, and honestly better for his leg too, but he didn't want to give it up. "Alec," Dean whispered. "Let's just put the washcloth over your eyes until Dad's got the bullet, ok?"

He swallowed hard, but finally nodded, "Ok…"

Dean eased him back against the tub and carefully settled the washcloth over his eyes. His brother ran his hand through his hair, and then rubbed his shoulders. "Just breathe, ok? This will be over before you know it."

He nodded and slowly breathed in, and then let it back out.

"Ok kiddo, I'm going to try again, ok?" Dad asked.

"Yeah…ok," he breathed out.

His breathing became more ragged as pain radiated from his leg. He tried his hardest to keep it hidden from his family, but a whimper escaped his lips. He just wanted this to be done. He would happily spend the next month on the sofa if it meant the pain would stop.

"D-dad…" Alec begged, praying for…well, he didn't even know what he was praying for anymore.

"I've almost got it, Alec," Dad reassured. "You're doin' great, kiddo."

A tear slipped past his barriers, but thankfully the washcloth soaked it up before it could be seen. At least there was one good thing from being blindfolded.

He cried out in pain suddenly and tried to get up, but his brothers pulled him back down.

"Sam, where's the belt?" Dean asked.

"I don't know…" Sam said as hands felt around him.

He cried out again and really wished he hadn't dropped the belt. But he'd forgotten about throwing up…He needed to take his pills again since they were currently in the trashcan, but he was a little busy right now. He blindly reached out and tapped whoever was closer to him. His hand connected with one of his brother's arms, and he instantly knew Dean was still next to him.

"Yeah Alec?" Dean whispered.

"A-after this…I n-need to take more p-pills," Alec stuttered, the pain making it impossible to speak. He pulled off the washcloth and met Dean's eyes so he knew for sure his brother was going to do what he wanted. "I j-just threw up th-the last ones…" He needed at least one other person to know he needed to take his tryptophan again. He hid a lot of things from his brothers, but he didn't hide his seizures from them. If he needed more pills, he told Dean and his brother would get them for him. If he was at school and his hands started shaking, he told Ben and he would get his spare pills from his bag. On any hunt, if he didn't feel right, he would sit out if he wasn't needed. He hated having seizures, and he would do whatever he needed to just to make sure he didn't have one.

"Ok," Dean soothed. "I'll get you some more as soon as Dad gets the bullet. And I won't let you passing out or falling asleep stop me, ok?"

He nodded, feeling better than he had a minute ago. Dean hated the seizures as much as he did, he wouldn't let him go without his pills. He started to put the washcloth back over his eyes, but stopped when he heard footsteps.

"What's going on?" Ben suddenly slurred, appearing in the doorway. "Alec? What's going on…"

"Sam," Dad ordered, not needing to say anything else. His brother instantly stood up and walked over to Ben.

"Hey buddy," Sam said, his voice low and soothing. "Let's get you back in bed, ok? You've been unconscious for a while and you got shot…"

"I…what? What's wrong with Alec?" Ben asked, panic edging into his voice. "Alec?!"

"I'm ok, Ben," Alec replied. "I got shot too, remember? Dad's just getting the bullet out."

"Ben, get back in bed," Dad said. "I'll check your bullet wound as soon as I get Alec taken care of."

"But-"

"Dad, he's not gonna go anywhere now," Alec said. "He's just gonna freak out if you make him go back to bed…"

Dad sighed, but then nodded, "Yeah, alright. Sam, get him on the floor in case he passes out."

"Dad…" Alec said.

"Yeah kiddo?"

"I'm feelin' pretty lightheaded…" Alec admitted.

"Dean," Dad said, motioning to him, and then looking back to his leg.

"Here we go," Dean whispered, easing him back. He blinked a few times to try to get his vision to cooperate with him, but the black spots were getting bigger. A pillow was put under his head and Dean put his hand against his chest to help ground him. "Don't fight it, ok? It'll help if you pass out right now, but you better come back when this is over," Dean said.

He let his eyes close as he nodded. He didn't try to fight to stay conscious; he knew his family would protect him.

* * *

"Alright, get Alec back in bed, prop his side up with some pillows so we can get some ice on his back," Dad said as he packed Ben's shoulder wound.

Dean gently lifted Alec out of the tub, but said, "His fever's gotten worse…" Alec's skin was practically burning through his clothing.

"Get him on an IV. I'll get some more antibiotics as soon as I get Ben set up," Dad said. "Get some ice on his leg too. His leg's gonna swell since I damaged it so much…"

He nodded even though Dad wasn't paying attention to him. He got Alec in bed and set him up the best he could before he gently tapped Alec's cheek. He promised his little brother that he would get him to take some pills even if he passed out, and he wasn't about to break a promise to him. "Alec, c'mon kiddo, I know it hurts and I know it's easier to stay unconscious, but you gotta take some pills. You just need to be awake for a few seconds, and then you can go back to sleep," Dean said.

It only took two minutes of him begging, pleading, and bargaining before Alec finally came around.

"Dean?" Alec asked weakly.

"Hey kiddo," Dean said. "You need to take your pills, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Alec breathed out. He got Alec's pills and some water, and then helped Alec take them. His little brother collapsed against his pillows as soon as he'd taken his pills. He looked exhausted and about a second away from passing out, but he asked, "Did he get it?"

"Yeah, he got it," Dean reassured, running his hand through Alec's hair to help. "Dad's gonna get you some antibiotics, and then you should be out of the woods."

"Manticore?" Alec asked, his voice barely carrying any strength.

"We'll move again in a few hours," Dean said. "But we're gonna pump you full of medicine and painkillers so you won't feel a thing."

"Dean-"

"I know how the strong painkillers mess with you, but that's the only way we can move you," Dean said. "Your leg's infected from the bullet, so it's gonna be Hell to move you while you're awake." Alec nodded, even though he knew his little brother wanted to say more. He was too weak right now though; he'd have to save up his strength before he could have a real conversation again. He gently ruffled his little brother's hair and said, "Rest up, ok? I'll let you know when we're leaving."

Alec nodded again before he fell asleep. He checked his little brother's bandages, but looked up when Sam and Dad, who was carrying Ben, walked back in.

"Dad, how do they keep finding us?" Sam asked. "We don't use our last name anymore, the boys have been careful and have kept a low-profile, and we move at least once a month. It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know…" Dad mumbled as he carefully put Ben next to his brother. "Watch over them. I'm gonna go get them some antibiotics, and then we're moving again."

"Dad, I'll go too," Dean said, grabbing his jacket.

"No. You need to stay and watch over the boys," Dad said.

"Sam can watch 'em," Dean said. "They should stay asleep until we get back and you might need some backup."

"If Manticore followed us, then you're needed here," Dad replied, walking towards the door.

"Dad-"

"Just do it, Dean," Dad said with a sigh before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	34. Chapter 34

He wanted to argue about the shack Dad had picked for them to stay in, but it was secluded and would be pretty easy to defend if Manticore caught up to them. But it didn't have any furniture, electricity, or even running water. The best it had was a fireplace and a stack of wood from whoever lived here before. Dad had found some cots in the basement, so the boys were sleeping on those in front of the fire. Sam had rigged a coat rack to hold the two IV bags and was now sleeping on the floor next to them. He just had to hope they wouldn't actually stay here very long.

He checked on the twins one more time before he walked over to where Dad was cleaning their guns. Right now, he was cleaning Alec's gun, which rarely left Alec's sight and was always in pristine condition. But Dad was scrubbing what looked like blood off of the grip. He sat on the floor across from his Dad and asked, "You want some help?"

"I got it," Dad said.

He nodded, figuring that was what Dad was going to say. He stayed where he was though and debated if he should bring this up or not. But they couldn't keep doing things the same way. They'd had more and more close calls through the years, but this one was the worst. Somehow Manticore was still tracking them, and the twins weren't safe. He wasn't going to lose his little brothers, especially to people who had kidnapped and tortured them.

"Whatever's bugging you, just spit it out," Dad muttered.

"I think we need to do something different," Dean said. "They keep finding us…"

"We just gotta move more often," Dad said, still refusing to look up at him.

"Dad…we already move about once a month," Dean said. "That's too much. They don't get to make any friends or do anything normal kids get to do."

"I dropped them off at Bobby's to do that," Dad said. "And you threw a fit and the boys threw a fit. And the last time I dropped the boys off, Bobby threatened to shoot me full of buckshot."

"I know…" Dean said. He'd been there when Bobby had threatened his Dad, but he kind of agreed with Bobby. Dad had dropped the boys off again with Bobby for a few weeks while they went on some hunts a couple states away. Alec had found a fight club and hadn't told Ben he was going. The club had been busted by the cops, Alec had been arrested, but he'd refused to tell them anything or make any phone calls since he knew he was going to get in trouble. He stayed in jail for three days before he had a seizure and the cops started asking around. Someone in town knew Alec and knew he stayed with his 'uncle', so they finally got ahold of Bobby and he got Alec out of jail and got him his pills. Bobby was pissed when he found out that Dad wanted Alec to go to fight clubs, and he'd threatened him as soon as they came back for the boys.

"So, we just move every two weeks, but switch it up after four weeks and go down to one week," Dad said.

"Dad, that's insane! There's no way we can keep that up!" Dean said.

"You have a better way?" Dad challenged. "Because right now, we don't have any options."

He was quiet; he didn't like his idea, and he knew Dad wouldn't either, but it might be the only way to save their family.

"Spit it out, Dean," Dad ordered.

"I think we need to split up," Dean said in a rush.

"What?" Dad growled, finally looking up at him.

"Hear me out," Dean said. "I think we need to throw Manticore off. They know to look for the twins, but if we split up the twins, they'll be harder to find." Dad just stared at him, but he wasn't arguing, so maybe it was a good sign. "I mean, I don't want to split up any more than they do, but it makes sense."

"You want to split up the twins," Dad stated.

"Yeah, but-"

"They'll never go for it," Dad said, dismissing his idea without even thinking about it.

He took a deep breath, and then said, "Sam wants to go to college."

Dad's eyes flashed, "What?"

"He got accepted into Stanford with a full-ride scholarship," Dean said. Sam hadn't told him, he'd found the letter in his duffle a few weeks ago when he was looking for one of his shirts. He'd hated the thought of Sam leaving, but he was so proud of his little brother and he wanted him to go. Now, it made sense for him to go. "So, he could go to college and Ben could go with him. Ben's so smart, he could probably go to college _with_ Sam if he wanted to. Sam could be his guardian and they could both live in California."

Dad didn't say anything or react at all, so he kept going. "And me and Alec can travel around, settle down somewhere so he can finish high school if he wants to, or hunt, or whatever he wants to do. I'll be his guardian and take care of him, but we'll draw Manticore away from California. Every once in a while, we'll show up, use our last name, let them get a lead on us before we disappear again. We'll lead them on a wild-goose hunt."

"And what am I supposed to do in all this?" Dad asked.

"You keep looking for the thing that killed Mom," Dean said. "It'll be easier to follow leads if we aren't around to slow you down. And once you find something, just call me and I'll swing by, pick up Sam and Ben, and we'll meet you wherever you say and take it down."

"And I just abandon my boys?" Dad asked.

"No, you check up on us when you can, but you don't have to look out for us anymore. I'll get a job, Sam can get a job, it'll be ok. But the best part would be not worrying that Manticore is going to get their hands on the twins again," Dean said. "They got too close this time. We could have lost Alec and Ben and never seen them again, or they could have been dead before we got there. It's going to suck to split up, but me and Alec will still meet up with Sam and Ben. I mean, we'll have to since the twins probably can't handle being apart for that long…"

He held his breath as Dad thought about it, and then let it out in relief when Dad nodded. "It makes sense," Dad said. "I don't like it, but I think it might work."

"I don't like it either," Dean agreed. "But I can't just keep doing the same thing. If it doesn't work, then we can try something else."

"Now we just gotta convince the boys to try it," Dad muttered.

* * *

They waited two weeks to tell Sam, Ben, and Alec. He wanted to wait longer, put off splitting up his family for as long as possible even though it was his idea, but Ben was completely healed now and Alec was mostly back on his feet again, just limping still, so it was time to tell them. He probably should have mentioned it before they were actually going to split up, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about it.

"What's going on?" Ben asked, picking up on his and Dad's mood. His little brother dropped the shirt he was holding into his bag and looked for Alec. His twin was still passed out on his cot, so he didn't pick up that something weird was going on.

"Where's Sam?" Dad asked.

Ben looked between him and Dad, "He went to put some things in the car…what's going on?"

"Dean, wake Alec up," Dad said.

He nodded and walked over to his sleeping brother while Ben asked, "Dad…what are we doing? Did something happen?"

"No, Ben, just relax, ok?" Dad soothed. "We just all need to talk about something."

He gently shook Alec's shoulder, "Alec, c'mon, time to wake up."

"'S it time to go?" Alec slurred, barely opening his eyes.

"Almost, but we gotta talk about something first," Dean said.

"What?" Alec mumbled.

"Wake up, ok?" Dean said, shaking Alec's shoulder again. Alec opened his eyes, but blinked slowly back at him. "C'mon, sit up and I'll check your leg."

"What's going on?" Alec asked as he pushed himself up. He steadied his little brother when he swayed, and then carefully checked his injured leg. Alec looked to Ben and asked, "Ben?"

"I don't know," Ben said with a shrug.

Ben and Alec both jumped when Sam walked back in, but Sam asked the same thing Ben and Alec had been asking. "What's going on?"

"Ok, c'mere and sit down," Dad said. "We need to talk about something…"

"There's another car out there," Sam said, pointing to the door. "Is someone else here?"

"No, Sam, just sit down, we'll explain everything," Dean said.

"Ok…" Sam said slowly, walking over to stand next to Ben. The only one actually sitting was Alec, but he knew his little brother would need a few more minutes before he could stand up.

"We're splitting up," Dad stated. "The other car is for you and Ben."

"What?!" Alec and Ben asked at the same time.

"Don't freak out," Dean said, standing beside Alec, but facing Sam and Ben. "This is to throw Manticore off, ok. And Sam…we know about Stanford…"

"You do?" Sam breathed, shooting a panicked look at Dad, who nodded back. "I swear, I was just applying to see if I could get in. I didn't actually think I was going to go."

"Of course you are," Dean argued. "You got a full ride…there's no way you can just ignore that."

"And it actually helps with throwing off Manticore," Dad said. "We think Manticore finds us so easily because the twins are always together. They just have to look for male twins who just enrolled in school, and they'll find them. You and Ben can live in California, you can go to school and so can Ben, and it should be safe for both of you."

Ben looked to Alec in concern, "But what are you going to do?"

"You think I've heard about any of this?" Alec asked, sounding annoyed. "I wouldn't have split us up if they'd asked me."

"Alec, it makes sense. We have to move more often now, and it's been even easier for them to find us," Ben said. "I just…I…"

"Alec's going to stay with me," Dean cut in. "He'll go to school, we'll hunt, and lead Manticore on a wild goose chase."

"And we'll never see each other again?" Ben asked.

"No," Dean said with a chuckle. "We'll visit you, you can visit us, we can meet up…it won't be so bad."

"And what's Dad going to do?" Alec asked.

"He's going to look for the thing that killed Mom," Dean said.

"And you're ok with this? Us doing normal?" Sam asked, looking at Dad.

"Dean made some good points, and I think he's right," Dad said. "I think Manticore keeps finding us because we're sticking together."

"What if it doesn't work?" Alec challenged.

"Then we'll come up with something else," Dean said.

"And what if we don't want to do it?" Alec asked angrily.

"Alec, we gotta try it," Ben said. "You could have died…we could've been taken back to Manticore…I wouldn't be able to handle it if either of those happened. And this way Sam gets to go to college and I get to actually finish school and maybe stay in one spot for more than a month. You get to hunt and hang out with Dean. This is a dream come true for you because there's no way you're gonna be bored."

"Ben…" Alec said, his voice suddenly broken. He looked away from all of them and rubbed the back of his neck before he finally said, "Ever since we escaped from Manticore…we've never been separated for very long…How…how are we going to be separated for months?"

"I don't know," Ben admitted, walking over to sit by his brother. He looked up suddenly and said, "If we do this, then me and Alec are going to need phones. There's no way we can live hundreds of miles apart and not be able to talk to each other."

"Yeah," Alec agreed.

He chuckled and looked to Dad, who nodded, "Alright, I'll go get you two some phones."

"Are we splitting up right now?" Alec asked softly.

"Yeah kiddo, we're splitting up now," Dad said. "Sam's classes start in a few weeks, and this will give us enough time to find somewhere for them to stay."

Alec nodded, "Ok, someone help me up."

"Alec-"

"Ben, help me up," Alec said.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Just help me up. I gotta go outside," Alec said.

Ben rolled his eyes, but helped Alec up and the twins both disappeared.

"So, you're really ok with me and Ben just going to school and being normal?" Sam asked.

Dad nodded, "If that's what it takes to keep you boys safe, then I'm ok with it."

"And you promise you and Alec are gonna be safe," Sam said, facing him.

"Sam…"

"I know. I know you're gonna hunt and lead Manticore around, and I know that's dangerous, but try to be safe, ok? Try to only go on hunts on the weekend and try to make sure Alec finishes high school. I know he already knows it and he's bored, but it actually will give him something to do," Sam said. "And if Manticore gets too close to you guys, disappear, ok? Don't take them on if you don't have to."

"Alright, Sammy," Dean said. "And we'll find some times to visit. Once Alec's done with school, then we'll be able to drop by a lot more."

"So it'll be good," Sam said.

"Yeah, it'll be good," Dean agreed.

"Alec, what are you doing?" Ben asked as the twins walked back in.

Alec limped over to Sam and handed him a big stack of bills. "This is all I have in the truck and the Impala. I have more hidden at Bobby's, so don't even think about not taking this money."

"Alec-"

"There's about $4,000 there…I know it's not much, but it'll help for a little while," Alec said.

Sam stared at the money in his hands for a second before he grabbed Alec and pulled him into a tight hug. "You better be careful," Sam whispered. "And listen to Dean, do what he says."

Alec nodded, and then teased, "You better be the biggest nerd at college and take care of my twin."

"I will," Sam said.

He grunted as Ben suddenly slammed into him, hugging him as tightly as he could. He hugged his little brother close and tried not to think about being separated from his family. But he still had Alec and they would still see Sam and Ben. And maybe this would be enough to keep Manticore back.

* * *

"How's this?" Dean asked, looking around the tiny apartment. They'd swung by Bobby's to pick up the rest of Alec's cash, used one of his real credit cards in Illinois to draw Manticore further from California, and then headed for Pennsylvania. He'd found a small apartment in Pittsburgh that they could live in while Alec went to school.

His little brother wasn't very happy, but as soon as he found a hunt for them to go on, then he'd be a little happier.

"We're not staying in a motel?" Alec asked in confusion.

"No…we'll stay here for a few months, and go around on the weekends to either hunt or make a trail for Manticore," Dean said. "And then maybe next year we can move closer to California…Maybe Washington or something like that, so it'll be easier to visit."

Alec smiled and nodded before he looked around. "Does this mean I get my own room?"

He chuckled, "Yeah Alec, you get your own room."

"What're you gonna do while I'm at school?" Alec asked.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, "I'm going to get a job, which is gonna suck, but we're gonna need more money than what we've got now."

"Where're you gonna work?" Alec asked.

"Wherever I can," Dean said.

"And we'll hunt on the weekends," Alec said to make sure.

"Yeah, we'll hunt on the weekends," Dean said with a small smile.

"And I really have to go to school?" Alec asked.

He laughed, "Yeah, Alec, you have to go to school."

Alec slowly walked around the apartment, walking into the kitchen that was connected to the living room, and opening every cabinet and drawer. "How come we have plates and silverware and stuff…usually apartments don't come with that stuff, do they?"

"No, usually they don't, but I paid extra to get one that was furnished with everything in it," Dean said. "It'd be pointless to go out and buy a bunch of furniture since we won't be able to take it to the next place."

Alec walked back to the living room and looked at the TV, smiling a little. He was glad he paid the extra for the TV. He knew Alec would like it, and it might even make this whole situation a tiny bit better for him. "This is awesome," Alec said. He looked a little guilty and said, "I…um, it's just…we never get to stay in one place for very long…it's kinda cool."

He smiled, "You wanna see your room?"

"Yeah!" Alec said. He led Alec to the back two rooms, quickly showing him his own room before he showed him Alec's. His little brother slowly walked in, looking in every corner and even opening the closet. "So…I put my clothes in here, right?"

It was sad that Alec didn't even know what a closet was for, but they lived out of their duffels, so it made sense. "Yeah, you put your clothes in here," Dean said.

Alec looked to the bed and frowned, "It'll be weird just sleeping by myself…" Alec was quiet for a second, and then whispered, "I miss Ben…" His little brother sat down on his bed, and he slowly walked over and sat down next to him.

"I know, Alec," Dean said. "But we'll see them again soon."

"Dean?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"Is it weird that I don't really miss Dad?" Alec asked.

He took a deep breath, and slowly let it back out, unsure how to really answer this. But the best way to handle a tough situation with Alec, was with honesty. "No, I don't think it's weird."

"It feels weird…I should miss him, right?" Alec asked. "Kids miss their parents when they're gone, don't they?"

"Alec…Dad worked really hard to find you when you were nine," Dean started, but Alec quickly cut in before he could keep going.

"I know, and I know I should be grateful that he did, but-"

"Alec, I wasn't done," Dean said. "Dad found you, but then he didn't stick around. He left you with me, or Sam, or he dropped you off at Bobby's. And I know he loves you, but sometimes, it was just easier for him to hunt instead of looking after us. He…he hasn't been there for you like a normal parent would be, so it's not weird that you don't miss him. It _would_ be weird if you said you didn't miss Sam or Ben."

Alec nodded, and then jumped up. "Let's go watch TV or something."

He chuckled and stood up, "Yeah, ok…"

Alec ran out of the room, but yelled, "And let's order a pizza!"

He smiled; maybe this would work.

* * *

"This isn't so bad…" Ben muttered, looking around the studio apartment.

It was all they could afford, but they were used to living on top of each other and it was bigger than most of the motel rooms they'd stayed in. Sam hoped Ben was ok with it, but they didn't have many options. He wondered how Dean and Alec were doing. He already hated being apart, but he was actually really excited to start school. And he knew Ben was excited to stay in one spot. It was hard on the twins to keep them moving, even if they never said anything.

"You think we'll be ok here?" Sam asked.

Ben nodded, "It's bigger than some places we've stayed…"

"And we'll pick some things up to make it better," Sam said. "Right now we've just got the two beds, but we can go to garage sales and find some things to make it more…homey…"

"Sam, I like it," Ben reassured. "I just miss Alec…he'd be complaining already and calling dibs on one of the beds…"

"I know," Sam said. "Dean would be too, only he'd be looking for food."

"I really want to go to school and stay in one place, but I never pictured stopping without Alec…" Ben said.

"Do you wanna go ahead and call him?" Sam asked. "I'm pretty sure they're close to Pittsburg by now…"

Ben sat on one of the beds and shook his head, "No…I'll call him tonight. No reason to get him freaked out…"

Sam nodded and walked over to the sink. He got them both a glass of water and gave one to Ben as he sat next to his little brother. "It's weird not having them here," Sam admitted. "It's too quiet…"

Ben chuckled, "Yeah…Alec talks too much. Dean's probably going to call to find out more ways to get him to shut up."

"Either that or Alec's going to finally gain some weight," Sam said in amusement. Ben cocked his head to the side, unsure what he meant, so he explained, "The best way to get Alec to shut up, is to feed him. Dean's gonna be stuffing him full of food just to get some peace and quiet."

Ben laughed, and it made him feel good to be able to make his little brother laugh. Maybe he wasn't going to be completely terrible at this.

"So…tomorrow we can walk around, so we can find where your school is and check out my school. Maybe get some groceries and whatever else we need," Sam said. "And I think your school starts on Wednesday…maybe…so we can go in and get you enrolled…"

Ben gave him a small smile and nodded before he asked, "And how are we going to get money?"

"I'm working on that," Sam said. "I think I can get some help since I'm technically taking care of you. We might be able to get some monthly checks or something, and I think I can find a job on campus."

"I can get a job too," Ben said.

Sam chuckled and shook his head no. He and Dean had decided a long time ago that Alec and Ben were going to be as spoiled as possible, so he wasn't going to have Ben get a job unless that's what he wanted to do. "No Ben, I'll take care of the money."

Ben smirked and nodded knowingly, "Ok Sammy…if you say so…"

They were both quiet for a few minutes, but then he got an idea. "Hey, you wanna go check out the ocean?"

"Really?" Ben asked.

They'd only been to the ocean a few times with the boys, but they'd loved it. He'd overheard his little brothers talking after one of their trips, and Alec had said he'd wanted to live on the ocean. Ben had asked him if he meant that he wanted to live near the ocean, and Alec had said no, he wanted to live in it with all the fish and sharks and whales. The two boys had talked about it for weeks, and then Dean had told them they could be pirates. That had been their favorite game at the playground for years after that. They played pirates and pretended they sailed the seven seas. He knew it was because they loved the open space and the sense of freedom. The ocean seemed endless to them; the perfect place to live and to hide from Manticore. He was glad this could finally be a regular thing for Ben, to see the ocean. He just wished Alec was here to see it too.

"Yeah, we're only about a 20 minute drive away," Sam said. "We can go all the time if you want…"

"Let's go!" Ben said, jumping up and heading for the door.

They drove down to the beach and sat in the sand, watching as the waves crashed against the shore. It was peaceful even though the beach still had a lot of people at it.

"We'll need to get some swimming trunks," Sam said, looking out at the horizon.

Ben nodded, "We should get some for Dean and Alec too…"

"That's a good idea," Sam said in agreement.

"You really think they'll come visit?" Ben asked. "What if they like their new life so much…they don't want to come?"

"I know they'll come visit," Sam said. "And if they don't, we're going to them."

Ben gave him a huge smile, and then said, "I think maybe this will work…I still don't really like being separated, but I like staying in one spot."

"Me too, Ben," Sam said. "But we'll see them again soon."

Ben took a deep breath and nodded, "I just wish Alec could live by the ocean too."

"Maybe someday he will," Sam said. "You never know, maybe they'll pick a spot on the East Coast next time."

"I'm gonna call Alec," Ben said, standing up.

Sam chuckled, "Alright, tell him I say hi."

"I will," Ben said, already dialing his brother's number.

He knew this was going to be hard, and it was going to be nearly impossible to adjust to not having Dean and Alec around all the time, but once they got to start school, then he knew it would get a little easier. He still couldn't wait until his brothers visited though. He'd have to call Dean later and see when they could meet up again. He needed to know that it wasn't going to be too long before he saw his brothers again, and he knew Ben needed to know that too. As long as it wasn't too long, then maybe this could work.

* * *

 _So, this is the beginning of the last portion of this story (if that makes any sense). I have a few more chapters for sure planned, but after that I'm not sure if it will continue or if I will find a place to end it. Let me know what you think!_

 _More soon..._


	35. Chapter 35

_So this is just a short chapter to bridge some of the timeline. The next chapter will jump ahead and soon Jess will be brought in and maybe Max eventually. There still aren't too many chapters left unless everyone really likes the Jess/Max chapters. Hope you all like it!_

* * *

He gasped awake and nearly fell out of his bed when he heard Alec's tortured cry in the room next to him. He had his gun out and was in his little brother's room in less than a second, but felt at least a tiny bit of relief when he saw that his brother was alone, Manticore wasn't trying to take him away, there was nothing supernatural going on, he was just having a nightmare.

He quickly stowed his gun away, and then slowly walked over to his brother. He'd had more than enough black eyes from waking Alec up that he knew he needed to be careful, but all he wanted to do was wake him up as fast as he could. He grabbed both of Alec's wrists to try to keep his little brother from hitting him, and then said, "Alec, wake up kiddo, you're having a nightmare."

He didn't immediately panic when Alec didn't wake up. He knew it took a few minutes sometimes, and every once in a while he needed to get some water to get him to wake up, but Alec would wake up eventually.

Except this time, nothing was working. Ten minutes had been the record, but he'd been trying to get Alec to wake up for over 20 minutes, and his little brother still wouldn't surface.

"C'mon kiddo, you gotta work with me here," Dean whispered, running his hand through Alec's sweaty hair. His little brother's breathing was getting worse; he usually only had these kind of nightmares when he was hurt, but they hadn't even gone on a hunt since they'd moved. This was the 5th nightmare this week, but he'd been able to get his little brother to wake up the other nights.

"Alright, hang tight," Dean said finally. "I'm just gonna go get my phone and get Sam or Ben to talk to me, ok? I need some help…"

Alec still didn't wake up, so he got up and went to his room to get his phone. He jumped when his phone went off as soon as he grabbed it. He smiled when he saw Sam's name pop up; it was like his brother already knew he needed some help and was going to call him.

He walked to the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth before he ran it under cold water and answered, "Hey, I was-"

"Dean, I need to talk to Alec," Sam cut off.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Dean asked, running back to his little brother's room. Alec was still trapped in his nightmare, so there was no way he was talking to Sam right now.

"Ben's sleepwalking!" Sam exclaimed. "He keeps sleepwalking. I didn't even wake up to find him until he was almost out of our building! He's going to get hit by a car if he keeps this up! He never did this before, did he?!"

"He's seriously sleepwalking?!" Dean asked back in concern. Maybe this wasn't working, them splitting up. Alec and Ben needed each other and they'd never actually been apart before. They should have found a way to ease into this instead of jumping right in.

"Yeah, so I need to talk to Alec to find out what to do," Sam said.

"Sam…I was going to call you," Dean said slowly. "Alec's having a nightmare and none of my tricks are working…I was going to ask Ben what I should do."

"Shit," Sam breathed.

"Is Ben back at the apartment?" Dean asked, sitting down next to Alec again. He gently put the wet washcloth on Alec's forehead, feeling a little relief when Alec relaxed a tiny bit. He still didn't wake up, but maybe this was an improvement.

"Yeah, but he keeps trying to leave," Sam said. "I can't get him to snap out of it…Do you think we rushed them? Maybe we did this too fast…"

"I don't know," Dean admitted. "Ok, put the phone against Ben's ear," he said, coming up with a sort of plan. "I'll talk to him and maybe that will trick him into thinking I'm Alec."

"You think that'll work?" Sam asked skeptically.

"What else do we have?" Dean asked back. "It's not like I can make it worse…"

"Ok, here he is," Sam said.

"Ben, um…hey brother…" Dean said. Ben and Alec called each other brother and had since they were nine, so if he wanted Ben to think he was Alec, then he had to call him brother. "Can you hear me?" Ben didn't answer, but Alec let out a pained groan, so he knew he needed to get through to Ben. "Can you wake up for me?" He had to stop himself from calling Ben 'buddy', but somehow he held off. "I really need to talk to you…"

"Alec?" Ben asked sleepily.

"Hey buddy, you awake?" Dean asked.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, it's me," Dean said.

"I thought you were Alec…" Ben muttered.

"No, but I need your help," Dean said. "Alec's having a nightmare and I can't snap him out of it…"

"Did you try a wet washcloth?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, and he still won't wake up…he sounds like he's in pain," Dean said helplessly.

"Let me try talking to him," Ben said.

"Ok, go ahead and start talking," Dean said, gently putting the phone against Alec's ear. He ran his hand through Alec's sweaty hair and waited while Ben talked to his brother. He could tell immediately that there was a change with Alec. His little brother relaxed beneath his hand and his breathing slowly evened out in sleep.

He pulled the phone away once Alec was completely asleep again. Ben was still talking, and he smiled a little when he figured out he was reenacting the movie 'Back to the Future' for him.

"Hey Ben," Dean interrupted. "He's asleep for real now."

"Good," Ben breathed. "I was getting close to the end…"

"So, 'Back to the Future', huh?" Dean asked. "That's how you get him to sleep?"

"Pretty much any movie," Ben said. "Get him a TV or a radio because he can't sleep when it's silent unless someone is next to him."

He nodded and said, "Alright…what about you and sleepwalking? What are Alec's tricks for helping you?"

Ben chuckled, "Trip wire in front of the door, rope tied to my ankle, bucket of water over the door…He never uses the same tricks, so I don't know which one works the best."

"Lock the door with the deadbolt," Alec suddenly whispered. "He'll pick the main lock, but he doesn't know to unlock the deadbolt when he's sleeping."

"Hey kiddo," Dean said. "How ya feelin'?"

"Tired…" Alec muttered.

"Alright, scoot over," Dean said. He got into bed next to Alec and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Until I can get you a TV, you're stuck with me."

"I can just sleep on the sofa," Alec mumbled.

He ignored his little brother and spoke to Ben instead, "Ben, can you put Sam back on?"

It was quiet for a few seconds, but then Sam asked, "Did he wake up?"

"Yeah, and now I know what to do," Dean said. "And Alec said to lock the deadbolt. That will stop Ben from leaving the apartment."

"Seriously? That's it?" Sam asked in surprise.

"That's what he said, and he would know…" Dean said.

"Alright, thanks Dean. And tell Alec thanks too," Sam said.

"I will," Dean said.

"Ben wants to know when you guys can visit…" Sam said.

"Alec's gonna be off school for fall break in a few weeks, so we'll come visit then," Dean said. "And Christmas break will be a good time for another visit, and then we'll leave another trail for Manticore to follow."

"They haven't gotten close to you guys, have they?" Sam asked.

"No, not yet," Dean said. "But I'll probably have to pull him out of school and move after Christmas, but he's ok with that. How's Ben doin'?"

"He's at college more than he's in his own school," Sam said with a chuckle. "He's sitting in on classes and the professors all love him. I think he finally found something to challenge him, so he's pretty happy about that even though he's skipping out on his school. Turns out though, the professors wrote him a letter, so the school excused all of his absences. Have you guys been hunting?"

"Not yet," Dean said. "Took a while to get settled…we're not really used to the whole staying in one spot thing, but we're getting better at it. I got a job at one of the garages, and Alec likes bein' there more than he likes school, but I think he's just lonely. He came home with bruises and a split lip one day…He's not getting along with the kids at his new school…"

"You guys won't be staying in Pittsburg for more than a few months though, right?" Sam asked.

"It depends on hunts and Manticore," Dean said. "And if Alec gets beat up again, then I'm gonna do some things that'll mean we'll have to leave."

"They didn't beat me up," Alec whispered against his side. "It was just a fight…"

"Yeah? Then how come your knuckles weren't even bruised?" Dean asked sarcastically. Alec gave him a half-hearted glare before he settled against him again.

"It was an ambush," Alec mumbled. "Nothin' I can't handle…"

He ignored his little brother and asked Sam, "You hear from Dad lately?"

"Not since he helped us find our apartment," Sam said.

"Us either," Dean said.

"I'm sure he's fine," Sam said. "Probably just got busy on a hunt or something…"

"Yeah…probably," Dean said. "I'll try to get ahold of him in a few days if I don't hear from him."

"And call me when you and Alec are going to visit. Or we can meet up somewhere if it's too far," Sam said.

He agreed, and then they both hung up. He snuggled down next to Alec, seeing that his little brother was asleep again, and fell asleep.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	36. Chapter 36

He sighed when he finally got off the phone with the secretary from Alec's school. His little brother got beat up again and it went so far that they thought he should go to the hospital. He didn't know why Alec didn't at least try to defend himself since he knew he could, but this wasn't the first call he'd gotten that Alec had been beat up.

He walked over to Gary, his supervisor, and waited until the man looked up from his notebook, silently asking him what he wanted.

"My little brother got beat up at school and they think he needs to go to the hospital…" Dean said.

"That brother of yours gets into a lot of trouble," Gary muttered.

"I know," Dean said. "He has health problems, but he doesn't want to let anyone know and he still thinks he can stand up to bullies."

"Sixth time this month he's been beaten up," Gary grumbled. Had it really been that many times? He knew he'd had to leave early a few times to go get Alec from school, but he hadn't thought it had been six times. The older man sighed, but then said, "Go on. But you owe me two more weekends."

"Yes sir," Dean said, already heading for the door.

"And Dean," Gary called out before he could leave. He froze and looked back as Gary said, "Teach your little brother how to fight back, would ya? You're a good mechanic, and I know you're his guardian, but I won't be able to keep ya on if you keep needing to leave early, understand?"

"Yes sir," Dean said again.

"You can go," Gary said. "Your little brother needs you."

"Thank you, sir," Dean said, running out the door again. He got into the Impala, and then raced to the school to get to Alec. He thought the school was probably overreacting a little with the whole hospital thing, but he couldn't stop thinking about the worst-case scenarios. But it was unlikely that Alec was having a seizure since the school would have immediately called for an ambulance if that was the case, and then he'd be getting a call from the hospital instead of from the school.

A broken bone was the more likely injury. He hated to think of Alec breaking a bone as a minor injury, but compared to what else he'd been through, a broken bone was a cake-walk. He hated that Alec kept getting beat up, but no matter how many times he'd told Alec to fight back, or to even back off from the whole hero gig, he wouldn't do it. He stood up for people, and he was proud of him for that, but he took it too far.

He ran into the school and stopped at the secretary's desk to tell them that he was here for Alec. He was brought to the nurse's station, and he sighed when he saw Alec. His little brother was curled up on the bed, his arms wrapped around his ribs and his face hidden from view.

The nurse, an older woman named Mrs. Franklin, who was always kind to him and Alec, stood up as soon as he walked in and gave him a sad smile. "I think he really needs to go to the hospital this time," Mrs. Franklin said gently.

"How bad is it this time?" Dean asked, keeping his voice down. Alec barely moved when he heard his voice, but he didn't wake up completely.

"Mr. Howard found him unconscious in the bathroom," Mrs. Franklin said. "We were about to call an ambulance right then, but he came back around and told us he just wanted us to call you."

"Any idea who did it?" Dean asked. Alec refused to tell him who did it because he knew he would kick their asses for what they were doing to his little brother.

Mrs. Franklin shook her head no, "He won't tell us who keeps doing this."

He took a deep breath and walked over to his little brother, gently shaking his shoulder. "C'mon kiddo, it's me," Dean whispered.

Alec groaned, but then slowly turned his head on the pillow to face him. "Dean?" He hated the bruises that were already appearing on Alec's face and the butterfly bandages that were keeping a few cuts closed, but Alec was still aware enough to know who was talking to him, so that was good.

"Hey kiddo," Dean said, resting his hand on Alec's shoulder. "Let me look you over real quick, and then we'll decide on the hospital."

"No hospital…" Alec slurred.

He ignored his little brother, and instead helped him roll to his back. Alec whimpered, but he whispered soothingly to him and ran his hand through his hair. "Let me see, ok? If it's not too bad, then we won't go to the hospital," Dean said softly.

"I've got a few broken ribs," Alec admitted so only he could hear. "But I don't think it's anything that won't heal. Maybe some minor internal bleeding…"

"What about your head?" Dean asked.

"Mild concussion," Alec said.

He took a deep breath and thought about it for a minute before he finally nodded, "Ok, I'll take you home. I won't make you go to the hospital."

"Thanks Dean," Alec breathed.

He turned to look at Mrs. Franklin and said, "I'll take him home and keep an eye on him. We've done this enough times to know when to go to the hospital."

Mrs. Franklin actually nodded instead of trying to convince him otherwise and said, "I'll write him a note for the next few days in case he wants to stay home. I don't expect him back until next week, ok?"

He nodded even though he knew Alec wouldn't stay at home for that long.

* * *

Dean babied him for the next few days even though broken ribs were nothing compared to some of his injuries he'd had before. But Dean hated seeing him hurt and it was just better if he let his brother take care of him.

It was easier now to let Dean take care of him than it had been before; he wasn't overwhelmed with attention now that it was just him and Dean. He missed the rest of his family, but he didn't feel like he was being suffocated since they'd split up. Most of the time Dean knew when to back off, so it worked out.

"Ok, so, here's the homework you've missed, "Dean said, setting down some books on the coffee table in front of him. "This should keep you busy this weekend, and even if it doesn't, just watch TV once you're done. If I find out you went on walkabout while I was at work, then I'm gonna be pissed and you'll be grounded…again."

"Y'know, this feels a lot like being grounded," Alec muttered. "Forced to stay home and do homework…"

"But you still get to watch TV," Dean pointed out, walking to the kitchen. "I'm setting out some soup. If you eat the whole thing, then I'll make you a grilled cheese for dinner."

"And if I don't?" Alec challenged.

"Then you're in for more soup," Dean said without missing a beat. His brother walked back over to him with a glass of water and two bottles of pills, which he set within easy reach of his slightly propped up lounge across the sofa. "Pain pills, tryptophan, and water. Stick to the sofa unless you have to go to the bathroom, ok?"

"You do know I've stayed by myself before, right?" Alec asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, and both times I've regretted it," Dean teased, ruffling his hair. His brother slowly sat down next to him and said a little more seriously, "I'd stay to make sure you don't move, but if I miss another day at work, then I'm gonna get fired."

He immediately felt guilty since it was his fault that his brother was missing work. "Dean…I'm sorry," Alec whispered.

"If you would just tell me who's beating you up, then I wouldn't have to miss work," Dean said. "I'd just hunt them down, scare the shit outta them, put a couple in the hospital, and then they'd quit beating you up."

"I'm not getting beat up," Alec defended. "There's a secret fight club at school and-"

"Alec, cut the crap," Dean snapped. "One of your teachers found you unconscious in the bathroom. I've gotten six calls the past two days because your teachers think you're being bullied. Why the _Hell_ aren't you fighting back?!"

He flinched when Dean yelled, and quickly looked away. This wasn't the first time he'd been bullied, but Ben had always been around to have his back. His brother had never told Sam or Dean that he got picked on in school because he'd asked him to keep it quiet. Ever since they'd been suspended from their first school he'd tried to stay under the radar, but it seemed like he just attracted attention from the bullies. It didn't help that he still hadn't hit his 'Winchester' growth spurt, so he was smaller than the other kids and his family always told his teachers about his seizures in case he ever had one, and sometimes they asked him if he was ok or if he needed anything, which just made things worse. And he could never shut off his mouth. If someone started saying crap about him or his family, then he had to say something, which always got him in trouble.

"I don't want to get kicked out again," Alec whispered.

"What?" Dean asked in confusion. "You've never gotten kicked out of school before."

"I got suspended for fighting," Alec said. "And then we had to move again…" And then Manticore found them and they almost got him and his brother and almost killed Sam and Dean. He couldn't screw up like that again.

"And that's why you aren't fighting back?" Dean asked. He shrugged and looked away from his brother. "How come they're picking on you in the first place?" Dean prodded when he looked away.

"I don't know, I always get picked on," Alec said.

"In every school? Why is this the first I'm hearing about this?" Dean asked, anger clear in his voice. He didn't answer, but Dean figured it out for himself. "Ben helped, didn't he?"

He nodded, "He helped me get cleaned up before we went back to the motel and I told the nurse to always find Ben before she called anyone."

"But you know how to fight," Dean said, refusing to drop this. "You still go to fight clubs to make money and you kick ass when you fight. Only Ben fights better than you do, right?" Dean gently teased.

"I still shoot better than Ben," Alec grumbled.

Dean chuckled, "I know you do, and you fight better than me and Sam combined. Which is why it doesn't make any sense that you keep getting your ass kicked."

"I can take it, Dean. It's not a big deal," Alec said.

"You can take it…" Dean said with a frown. "Like you'd rather them beat you up than someone else?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Alec mumbled.

"Alec, it does matter," Dean said. "You're getting beat up at school and you're letting it happen."

"Dean, if I'm getting beat up, then some other kid isn't," Alec said softly.

Dean was quiet for a long time, but then he nodded and patted his leg, "Just stay on the sofa, ok? I've gotta go to work."

"Ok…"

* * *

"Ben, you ok?" Sam asked. His little brother had been quieter than normal and he hadn't looked at a book or touched his homework for a few days. He thought Ben was probably missing his brother again, but they had plans to meet up with Dean and Alec in a few days.

"I'm fine," Ben said. "I'm just worried about Alec…"

He slowly sat down next to Ben on the sofa and asked, "Do you think he's hurt? Or maybe they're in trouble?"

"No…I don't know," Ben muttered. "I need to talk to him…"

"Ok, do you want to call him?" Sam asked.

"We need to go see them," Ben said. "I know we're going in a few days, but I think we need to go now."

"Alright, I'll call your school and tell them you won't be there the next couple days, and I'll email my professors, ok?" Sam asked.

Ben nodded and quickly got up, "I'll pack and we can catch the next flight, right?"

"Yeah," Sam said, and then muttered to himself, "Guess we're flying too…" He would do anything for Ben, and he knew if Ben thought something was wrong with Alec, then he was probably right. But he also knew Dean, and Dean wouldn't let Alec get hurt, or if Alec was seriously hurt, then he would call them to let them know. But Ben wouldn't do anything until he got to see his brother.

He quickly called Ben's school and told them that they had a family emergency and they'd be gone for a few days, and then bought some plane tickets and emailed his professors about the same family emergency. Technically this was a family emergency, just not an emergency that most families had, which made sense because their family wasn't like most families.

"I packed your bag too," Ben said, dragging both of their bags into the room. "What time is our flight?"

"It's not until 9 tonight," Sam said. Ben scowled, so he quickly defended, "That's the earliest flight to Pittsburg. That's the best I could do."

"Ok…"

"Are you sure you don't want to call him?" Sam asked. "It'll be a while until we get to him, so it might be better to call first…"

"I already called," Ben admitted. "He sounded normal and answered all my questions just like he normally would."

"But something's still bugging you," Sam guessed.

"He's really good at hiding things," Ben muttered. "I need to see him to make sure he's not lying to me."

"Ok, well, the flight is about 5 ½ hours, so we'll see him by tomorrow morning, ok?" Sam asked.

Ben nodded, and then asked, "How long does it take to get to the airport?"

He chuckled and shook his head in amusement, but he slowly got up and grabbed what they were going to need. It would just be better to take Ben to the airport now since he was going to ask nonstop when they were going to leave. He grabbed his keys and his bag and gestured for Ben to go ahead. At least they were finally going to see their brothers again.

* * *

He groaned when there was a knock at the door. Who the Hell was knocking at 6 in the morning? He refused to get up from the sofa, hoping Dean would get up to get the door before he had to move. He put on a brave act for Dean, but his ribs were killing him and moving sucked. But Dean had gotten home late and was exhausted since he had to work twice as hard because of him _and_ he had to be up soon to go back to work. He needed to get up and get the door before they woke Dean up. He could at least do that for his brother.

He still grabbed his gun though since someone knocking at 6 in the morning could not be a good thing and carefully slid off of the sofa. Everything in him was yelling at him to lay back down and rest, but whoever was at the door knocked again. They were pretty insistent, whoever they were. Maybe Dean forgot to pay rent. Except their landlady loved them and probably wouldn't care if they missed a month, and definitely wouldn't be knocking at 6 in the morning.

They didn't have a peephole, so he kept the chain on the door and opened it just a crack to see who it was. He ripped the chain right off the door-jam when he saw his brothers standing on the other side. Hopefully Dean could fix the chain, but right now it didn't matter. He threw his arms around his twin's neck, and even though it hurt, he crushed himself against his brother.

"What the Hell is going on?" Dean mumbled sleepily. He ignored his brother since his twin was right in front of him and it had been months since he'd seen him. "Sam?" Dean asked in confusion.

"Hey," Sam said, squeezing by them to get inside. "Sorry, I didn't think about the time change, and even if I had, I don't think it would have mattered…"

"I knew one of 'em was gonna start getting antsy," Dean said. "Alec, did you break the chain?"

"I don't care…" Alec muttered.

"Are you ok?" Ben asked him. "Let me look at you." Ben took a step back from him and frowned when he saw his bruised face. "What happened? What else hurts?"

"I'm fine," Alec said with a smile. "You guys came early."

"My 'twin's in trouble' senses were tingling," Ben said. "Which obviously something happened, so spill."

"I wanna sit down again," Alec said. "But seriously, I'm fine."

Ben barely pressed against his broken ribs making him cry out in pain. "Yeah, you're fine," Ben said sarcastically. "Were you hunting?"

"No, he's getting his ass kicked in school," Dean said from the sofa. _His_ sofa. He glared at his brother for sitting on his current bed and for spilling the beans to Sam and Ben. "And he won't tell me who, so I can kick _their_ asses."

Sam looked at him in surprise, but Ben just looked mad. "I told you since I wasn't going to be around anymore that you needed to cut it out. I don't care about the other kids getting bullied, you getting your ass kicked every day doesn't really help them."

"Can we not talk about it?" Alec snapped. "You guys are here, we should celebrate."

"Except, I've gotta go to work in an hour," Dean said. "And you're still stuck to the sofa."

"I'm still standing and I feel fine," Alec argued.

" _And_ it's 6 in the morning, so there's nothing to do except sleep," Dean said. "Besides, those two should be tired since it sounds like they've been up all night flying out to surprise us without even a phone call."

Dean sent a glare to Sam, but Sam quickly defended, "Technically Ben called Alec before we left. He just didn't mention that we were on our way, that's all."

"Dean, just skip work," Alec said. "You said we were going to move soon anyway and Sam and Ben are here. And I'll stay on the sofa if we all hang out together."

"No Alec," Dean said.

"I'll try to fight back," Alec said quickly. "If you stay, then I'll fight back, teach those bullies a lesson, and then we can move."

"Alec," Dean said with a sigh.

"Please," Alec begged, bringing out his best puppy-dog look. He wanted his family to be together again, and they were planning on moving anyway, so why couldn't Dean just stay?

Dean stood up and walked over to him and Ben before he said, "How 'bout this…you go back to sleep for a while even though I know you're way too excited right now to sleep, and I go in and tell my boss in person that I'm leaving, ok? I don't feel right just not showing up, but once I tell him, I'll be back. But you've gotta promise that you won't get beat up anymore, ok? I don't want any more calls from any school I put you in saying that you got beat up."

"Ok," Alec quickly agreed. He'd learned that something was better than nothing, and if he argued with Dean, then he would probably end up with nothing. Dean raised his eyebrows, and then looked pointedly at the sofa, which he still was not on. He smiled just a little before he slowly walked back to the sofa and laid down.

Dean followed him, and he rolled his eyes when his older brother actually tucked him in. He frowned though when his brother practically sat on his legs instead of getting ready for work. Dean chuckled at his look of confusion and said, "Alec, it's 6 in the morning. The shop doesn't open until 9, so we have a little while."

He smiled as Ben sat down on the floor in front of him; his family was together again, just like he wanted. He snuggled under his blanket, but tried to keep his eyes open. Stinking adrenaline was running out and now that he was lying down again, it wouldn't be long before he fell asleep.

"Hey, we're going to be here for a while," Sam suddenly reassured. "It's Thursday now, and we don't leave again until Tuesday."

"Yeah, but Dean's still going to go to work soon," Alec said. "Don't wanna miss out on family time…"

"But if you fall asleep now, then I'll be back by the time you wake up," Dean said.

"And I'm wiped out too," Ben said. "I could use a nap and so could Sam."

"'Mkay…" Alec mumbled, letting his eyes close. He felt the sofa shift, and then sink again, which meant Dean had gotten up and Ben was on the sofa now. His twin's legs pressed against his as he lay next to him on the opposite side.

"He needs to stay on the sofa," he heard Dean whisper to Sam. "He's got some broken ribs, and I know he's had worse, but he's still hurting. He should stay asleep until I get back, but if he doesn't just turn on the TV and he'll be fine."

Sam chuckled and said, "Dean, I know it's been a while, but I remember how to take care of Alec. Plus, Ben's here, so if I have any problems, I'll just wake him up too and he can talk Alec out of whatever he's thinking."

"Ok," Dean said. "But here are his pills, try to get him to take both if you can, and he might eat a grilled cheese if you make it for him, but more likely he'll eat a popsicle or maybe some ice cream."

"Ok Dean," Sam said with a smile in his voice.

He smiled too; Dean just couldn't stop trying to take care of him and he was incredibly grateful for it even if he didn't always act like it. Dean's hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, "Be good, ok?"

"Ok…" Alec slurred before he fell asleep.

* * *

It felt like he was finally home; his family was together again, and as long as they were together then he was home. And maybe he was laying it on a little thick to make it seem like he was more hurt than he actually was, but he wanted Sam and Ben to stick around as long as possible and if they thought he was hurt, then they might stay with him longer.

"Hey, Dean's making dinner," Ben said, suddenly shaking his knee to get him to wake up. He was mostly awake anyway, but his eyes were closed because of a headache he could feel coming on. He was trying to get rid of the headache before it got worse. "Do you want a grilled cheese? He said he'd make it for you," Ben said.

"I need a tiny nap…" Alec mumbled. "Starting to get a headache…"

"Dean said you need to eat even if you have a headache," Ben said. "And he said your headache might go away if you eat something."

"Nap first," Alec said.

"Dean, he doesn't want anything to eat," Ben said. "He says his head hurts."

"Yeah, he's used that one on me before," Dean grumbled before he heard his brother's footsteps. "Hey, food helps headaches."

"So will a nap," Alec said.

"I'm not making you a grilled cheese later. I'll make you soup later, but not a grilled cheese," Dean said.

He groaned and reluctantly pushed himself up, keeping his arm wrapped around his broken ribs, "Just one tiny little nap, that's it. And then I'll be up for anything. I just wanna get rid of this headache before it gets worse."

"Trust me," Dean said. "Eating will help and it'll give you more energy."

He looked over to Ben and Sam and tried to decide if making himself worse somehow would be better because it might make them stay longer, or worse because he would start to freak them all out. He just needed more time with his brothers before they had to split up again. He didn't want to have a seizure since that would hurt like Hell, but if he could just force himself to slow down on his healing, then maybe that would get him a couple extra days.

Dean frowned when he didn't say anything and looked over at Sam and Ben, "I'm feelin' some fast food. You guys mind runnin' out? I'll make him somethin' while you're out and that way you guys can pick whatever you want."

"Sure," Sam said, glancing over at him before looking at Ben. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

He felt panic as soon as his brothers left and immediately started to get up to follow them, but Dean put his hand on his shoulder and kept him down until they were gone. "I get it, alright?" Dean said. "I know you don't want them to leave, but not eating isn't going to help. Trying to make yourself worse…I don't like it, ok, so knock it off."

"I don't want them to leave," Alec whispered with his head down.

"I know," Dean said, running his hand through his hair. "But right now we don't have a lot of options. I'm not losing you and Ben to Manticore. I won't let them take you again, so for now, we have to do it this way. I hate being away from them too, but they're safer now."

"Can we at least move a little closer?" Alec asked. "We don't have to move to California, but I don't want to move further away…"

"Ok, we can move closer," Dean said. "We'll set up a new trail for Manticore, and then we'll get a little closer to them." He looked down, but nodded, so Dean asked, "Will you eat a grilled cheese now?"

"Yeah…" Alec reluctantly agreed.

Dean got up and started making his grilled cheese before he asked, "How do you feel about Seattle?"

"That's closer to California, right?" Alec asked to make sure. Dean could just be throwing out names; he wasn't even sure Seattle was a real place. He was seriously lacking in the geography department, but he didn't usually care since anywhere was better than Manticore and Dean always drove, so it was up to him where they went.

"What are they teaching you at that school?" Dean asked with a frown.

He shrugged, "I don't know…" He knew pretty much everything they were teaching, so he didn't bother paying attention in class. If they went over geography, then they should have started with that so they'd have his attention from the start, but they didn't, so he didn't know what they were teaching.

Dean chuckled, "I'm gonna have to have Sammy work on your geography…"

"Hey, I know most of the Midwest," Alec said.

"That's because that's where we go the most," Dean said.

"But Seattle's close, right?" Alec asked. Closer was better, so if Seattle was closer then that's where he wanted to go.

"Yeah Alec, Seattle's close," Dean said, bringing him his sandwich.

"Ok, then let's go to Seattle," Alec said with a small smile.

"Seattle it is."

* * *

 _More soon..._


	37. Chapter 37

He hated Seattle. It rained too much, and they still didn't get to visit Sam and Ben as much as he wanted to. And Dean worked more than he had when they lived in Pittsburg, so he was on his own more and Dean had banned half of his favorite extracurricular activities because of his very few run ins with the police. His brother was way overreacting, but he didn't want to move further away from Ben and Sam, so he didn't do anything.

"Dean…I'm bored," Alec complained to his brother over the phone. "I need something to do because if I have to stay in this stupid apartment for one more minute, I'm gonna go crazy."

"Alec, you can't keep calling me every time you're bored," Dean whispered. "I need to work so we can eat. You can walk around town, just be back by 7, ok? And don't get into any fights, don't get arrested, and if you come home bleeding, then you're on lockdown for a month no matter how bored you are."

"Ok, I promise I'll be good," Alec said. He hung up, grabbed his coat, and walked out the door. He would've just walked around without telling his brother, but if Dean got off early, then he would've been in huge trouble.

He hated Seattle, but he hated their stupid, boring apartment more. It was a lot smaller than their last place and it was way too noisy to get a good night's sleep. Even the grimy motel rooms had been better than their apartment now. They had exactly one room except for the bathroom, but the shower hardly ever had hot water, and their fridge broke every other week, ruining all of their food. He and Dean had to share one bed since they couldn't afford two, and even if they could, they wouldn't fit in their stupid apartment. The only part he did like was the old sofa Dean had found. It smelled weird, but it was really comfortable.

He walked down the noisy streets, trying to avoid as many people as possible. He didn't know much about geography, but the rest of the United States was a lot nicer than Seattle from what he could tell. Or maybe since they had just run out of money, they had to stay in the dumpy part of town. Either way, he actually missed their last place even though it had been way too far away from Sam and Ben.

"Head's up!" Someone suddenly yelled.

People immediately parted, but he wasn't sure what was going on, and then a bike slammed into him. He and the person who was on the bike immediately got tangled up as they rolled into the street. He heard the screeching of tires and flinched, waiting for the impact, but it never came.

He breathed out in relief when the car managed to swerve away from him, but then he tried to shove the other person away from him. He stifled a cry of pain when his shove moved the bike; his left ankle was caught in the spokes of the tire, with two of the metal spokes shoved deep into him.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!" Alec shouted.

"With me?!" A woman shouted back. "Everyone moves, but you just have to stand and watch? What kind of moron doesn't move?!"

"What kind of moron rides their bike like that down the sidewalk?! Do you like hitting people on your stupid bike?" Alec snarled.

The woman, who actually looked about his age, huffed in annoyance, but then said, "Just get up. We need to get out of the road before we actually get hit by a car."

"Yeah, well, I've been impaled by your stupid bike," Alec grumbled.

"Don't be such a baby," she said. He gasped when she yanked the spokes from his ankle and glared at her. "Sorry…" she muttered. She pressed a piece of cloth to his ankle and wrapped it tightly before she looked up at him and asked softly, "Can you walk? Is it broken?"

"I don't think it's broken," Alec said. "Just help me up."

She managed to help him get the bike off of him, and then helped him stand, "You totaled my bike, by the way…"

He barely put some weight on his ankle, but immediately regretted his decision. "Shit…I think it is broken, or at least seriously sprained…My brother's gonna kill me…" He mumbled under his breath.

The girl sighed and asked, "You need some help to the hospital?"

"Nope, I think you've done enough damage for the day," Alec said with a fake smile.

"Fine, I've got a lot of work to do anyway," she said. "And it's gonna take a lot longer because someone ruined my bike…"

"You ruined my ankle," Alec snapped.

"Look, I'm sorry about your ankle, but I really need this job," she said.

"What kind of job is on a bike?" Alec asked. He pointed to a bench, and she quickly helped him over to it. He briefly closed his eyes in pain, wishing his brother was there with him instead of this girl, but he wasn't going to bother him again, so he was stuck with her until she decided to leave.

"I'm a bike messenger," she said. "I deliver packages."

"That's a real job?" Alec asked.

"Pays the bills," She said with a shrug. "Lets me see the city…"

"And nearly kill people…" Alec teased.

"Yeah, there's that," she said, giving him a smile.

"My name's Alec," he said, holding out his hand, deciding that he liked her even though she tried really hard to break his leg.

"Max," she said, shaking his hand.

He frowned since her name sounded familiar to him…and she looked familiar too, but he couldn't place her. She was frowning at him too, but then her jaw dropped, and she shoved his head down and pushed the collar of his jacket down.

"Ow!" He complained.

"Alec!" Max said, pulling away from him and looking at him in amazement.

It finally clicked that she just looked at his barcode. "Holy shit…" he breathed.

Max threw her arms around his neck and nearly crushed herself to him. "I can't believe you're alive! And you're here! What about Ben? Is he here? Is he ok?"

He kept his arms around her and said, "He's ok, but he's not here. We had to split up because Manticore kept finding us."

She pulled away from him slightly, but kept her hands on his shoulders, "I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner…I should've known right off with your freckles and green eyes…You look just like you did when we were nine."

"And you're just as bossy," Alec said.

"Shut up," Max said, pushing him over slightly.

"See, still bossy," Alec said. He tried to move his ankle but hissed at the pain. "Dean's gonna kill me…"

"I'm sorry about your ankle," Max said. "And a hospital's out…wait, who's Dean?"

"Dean's my older brother," Alec said. "And he's gonna be pissed that I'm bleeding again…"

"You gotta give me a better explanation than that," Max said.

He looked around the busy street and thought it would be better to talk somewhere a little more private. "We should get off the street to talk about this," Alec said. "Plus, my ankle's killing me, and ice will probably help…"

"How far is it to wherever you're staying?" Max asked.

"Just a couple blocks," Alec said.

"Alright, let's go there," Max said, helping him up again. She left her bike and the packages to help him back home, and then she helped him get situated on the sofa and put ice on his ankle. "Ok, so, who's Dean?"

"Dean's my older brother," Alec said again.

"Alec…" Max sighed, thinking that's all he was going to say to her.

"Me and Ben got lost out there when we escaped," he quickly said. "We just kept walking, trying to get to the road, but I was dying because I got too cold, and Ben refused to leave me out there. But our Dad found us before we died."

"What?!"

"We had parents before Manticore," Alec said. "One of the scientists was my Mom's doctor and she injected us with the different DNA before we were born. They were trying to see if they could make an X5 after conception, and it turns out they could. But when we were born, the doctor took us away and told my parents that we'd died, which was just them getting us away from our parents and taking us to Manticore."

"Oh my God…Alec…" Max breathed.

"My Mom was killed a little bit after that, and then my Dad decided that me and Ben were still alive, so he started looking for us," Alec said. "He ended up in Wyoming and overheard some of the locals talking about a facility that was heavily guarded. My Dad called one of his old war buddies, which turned out to be Lydecker, and got a job as a security guard at Manticore."

"This is…I…"

"It gets better," Alec said.

"Then keep going!" Max said.

He chuckled and said, "Me and Ben ran into him before the escape. We were sneaking around, and he saw us, so we panicked and took off running, but he didn't chase us. We kept running, but we forgot about him, and then we escaped. He started looking for us as soon as we escaped, which was good because otherwise we'd both be dead right now. He found us, took us with him, and took care of us. I wanted to shoot him so badly when I woke up because I remembered he was a guard and I didn't trust him. But me and Ben were too hurt to get very far, especially with Manticore so close, so we went with him."

"And he had another son, Dean, right?" Max guessed.

"Yep, Dean's the oldest, then it's Sam, then Ben, then me," Alec said.

"So, you have a whole family," Max said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, but Manticore has gotten way too close a few times, so we had to split up. Dean took me, and Sam took Ben," Alec said. "Me and Dean just moved here since I hated Pittsburg, but I really hated Seattle up until now…"

"I can't believe you're here," Max said. "I didn't know if anyone else made it, but you and Ben are alive and now you're here."

"We literally ran into each other," Alec said with a laugh.

"Yeah, we did."

* * *

"Sam…" He waited for his brother to look up at him, but his brother definitely wasn't paying attention to him. "Sam…" he said again. His brother still wouldn't look up, so he crumbled up a piece of paper and threw it at him. It was way more rewarding than it should have been to see Sam jump in surprise and look over at him. Alec would have thrown something at him a lot sooner.

"What?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Are you going to actually do your homework or just stare at that pretty girl all day?" Ben teased. They were in the library at Sam's school, and even though he was just a high schooler, he and Sam still came here to do their homework before they went home.

Sam blushed and quickly looked down at his books again. He rolled his eyes and got up to walk over to the girl Sam had been staring at. She was really pretty, she had long, wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and she smiled a lot. He thought she'd be good for his big brother since he was so serious all the time. He knew he was too serious too; they needed Dean and Alec around to lighten the mood. But they only had to finish up this year before they might get to meet up more often.

He walked up to the girl and sat down across from her. He smiled when she looked up at him in surprise, and she gave him a small, confused smile back. "Hi," Ben said.

"Um…hi…" she replied.

"My name's Ben," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

She slowly took his hand and said, "I'm Jess…or Jessica, but everyone calls me Jess."

"I don't mean to bother you, but I can't get any of my homework done because my big brother won't help me," Ben said, spinning just a little lie. He didn't need Sam's help, but it might sound creepy if he just came out and said Sam wouldn't stop staring at her.

She smiled in amusement now and looked over his shoulder, at Sam. "Is that your brother?" She asked.

He turned to see Sam looking back at him in alarm, his face bright red with embarrassment. "Yep, that's my big brother. His name's Sam."

Her smile turned a little softer as she looked at Sam, and then she said, "Your brother's cute…"

He chuckled, "See, that's where my problem is. He thinks you're cute too and he can't help me because he couldn't decide if he was going to come over here to talk to you or not…"

"So, you took it upon yourself to help him out," Jess guessed.

"I did," Ben said. "That's what brothers are for."

She thought for a minute, and then quickly wrote something in her notebook before she tore it out and handed it to him. "Tell Sam that if he's interested, then this is my number and I'm free on Friday night."

"That's great! So is he!" Ben said with a wide smile. He grabbed her notebook and quickly wrote Sam's number down on it. "Sam's kinda shy, so if he doesn't call you tomorrow, call him. I know he wants to go out with you, sometimes he just needs a little shove."

She laughed and nodded, "Thanks Ben."

He smiled again and quickly went back to Sam. "What the Hell was that?!" Sam whispered as soon as he got close.

"Get up and go over there and talk to her," Ben said. He handed his brother her number and said, "Her name is Jess, she thinks you're cute, and she wants to go on a date with you."

"Ben-"

"I mean it, Sam. If you don't go over there, I'm gonna kick your ass," Ben stated.

* * *

He slowly walked up to his and Alec's apartment. He was afraid Alec wasn't going to be there and he was going to have to go out and find him. He hated it when Alec wasn't home when he was supposed to be because his mind instantly went to Manticore. He always thought they had his brother and he was being tortured while he was out looking everywhere for him. He hated it when Alec wasn't right where he was supposed to be.

He unlocked the door, just praying Alec was there, but froze when he had the door open. Not only was Alec home, but he'd brought a girl home too. They were both sleeping on the sofa; she was snuggled up against his side, resting on his chest while he had his arm around her shoulders. He shouldn't be surprised that Alec had a girl over, but his little brother had never actually brought a girl over. He knew he flirted with girls all the time, but his little brother got too flustered when he actually liked one of them.

He frowned when he saw the bag of water on Alec's wrapped ankle. No matter what his little brother did, he almost always came home with some kind of injury. He didn't know if Alec went looking for trouble or if his little brother really did have the worst kind of luck. It was probably a little bit of both, but he hated it when Alec was hurt.

He debated whether he should wake Alec up or not, but decided since he was hurt, he needed to check him for other injuries. He let the door slam behind him, making his brother and the girl jump awake.

"Dean!" Alec said, scrambling to try to get up, but him and the girl were tangled together. "This isn't what it looks like! I'm sorry, um, hold on…"

He ran forward and caught Alec before he could fall off the sofa and said, "Just take it easy, ok? I just wanted to look you over since it looks like you got hurt…again…"

"I did, but it wasn't my fault this time," Alec said as fast as he could. The girl managed to get free, and quickly got off the sofa, so Alec could stay there.

"I ran into him with my bike," the girl said. "His ankle got caught in the wheel, but we think it's just a really bad sprain instead of broken."

"Who are you?" Dean snapped, looking over at her. He was kind of surprised she was still here, but maybe the two of them had really made a connection.

"I'm Max," she said.

He shrugged since that didn't really mean anything to him, and he really didn't know why he asked in the first place, but at least now he knew what to call her. He turned back to Alec and very carefully unwrapped his hurt ankle. He assumed the bag of water had been ice at one point, but it'd since melted and wasn't' doing anything to help his brother. "Can you get more ice?" Dean asked Max. If she was going to hang around, then she could at least be useful. This was her fault anyway, so she should help.

Max went to go get more ice from their freezer, which might or might not actually have ice in it since it hardly ever worked, but he focused on Alec instead. "I'm ok," Alec whispered. "It hurts, and I couldn't put any weight on it on the way back, but I don't think it's broken…"

"There's blood on your bandages," Dean said. "And your ankle is seriously swollen."

"A couple of the spokes broke and went through me," Alec said. "We cleaned them out, so I shouldn't get an infection, but I dug out the antibiotics just in case."

"And you've been icing it since you got back?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but we fell asleep, so it melted, and I didn't notice," Alec said. "I would've gotten more if I would've been awake, I swear."

"I know, kiddo," Dean reassured. "I'm just covering all the bases."

"I don't think it's broken," Alec said again.

"Alec, if you couldn't put any weight on it…I don't know, I think we need to go get an x-ray…" Dean said. He didn't know how they were going to pay for an x-ray or what they were going to do if it was broken, but he couldn't let Alec sit around with a broken ankle. If they had to go on the run again, then they would. He wasn't letting Alec suffer just because they didn't have any money.

"I really don't think it's broken," Alec said. "And I'll keep icing it and I'll keep it elevated, and if the swelling doesn't go down in a few days, then we can get a scan."

"If the swelling doesn't go down by tomorrow, then we're going," Dean said, needing to make it clear that he wasn't going to let Alec sit around for a few days before they went to get a scan.

"Ok…" Alec finally agreed.

He looked to make sure Max was still trying to get some ice out of the freezer before he asked, "So, the girl runs you over, tries to rip off your ankle, and then you bring her home with you? Is this the new way to pick up girls that I didn't know about?"

"It's complicated…" Alec said, looking over at Max. There was something more going on, which meant he was going to have to find a way through Alec's walls to get to the real thing. Luckily, since it'd just been the two of them for so long, it was a lot easier to get through all the barriers.

He scowled though when he thought about how they'd been sleeping when he'd walked in. They were really comfortable around each other for just meeting…And, Alec had _actually_ been sleeping. Alec only slept around people he trusted. "Do you know her?" Dean asked softly.

"How do you do that?" Alec asked in shock. "How do you just know?"

"Alec, how do you know her?" Dean asked, ignoring Alec's other questions.

"She was in Ben's unit back at Manticore. She was the one who gave me my name," Alec said. His eyes widened, but Alec didn't wait to let him ask any questions. "I know it sounds impossible that we just literally ran into each other, but we did, and now I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should call Ben or not. He's gonna freak out when he finds out and he's gonna want to come up here or for us to go there, but I don't know if it's safe here or not. We've just been here for a week, so I just…I don't know what to do…"

"Hey, take a breath," Dean said, brushing his little brother's hair back. Alec almost felt like his own kid since he'd taken care of him for almost his whole life, so he knew when Alec started talking fast, it meant he was freaking out, so he needed to find a way to calm him down. "Let's just take this one step at a time, ok? I still have to work, and you need to rest your ankle, so let's start with that."

"But-"

"Alec, we're starting with that," Dean cut off. "Let's just hang out tonight, Max can stay here if she wants to, and we'll order a pizza and watch TV, ok?"

"Ok…"

"Your freezer doesn't have any more ice…" Max said, slowly walking back over.

"Ok, I'll go get some more ice," Dean said, standing up. "You two just stay here, and I'll get some food while I'm out." Alec nodded, so he ruffled his hair and gave Max a smile before he left their tiny apartment.

* * *

"Sam, I'm telling you, we can't live in your studio apartment anymore," Jess said to him. They'd been dating for a few months now, and he'd asked her to move in with him, but even he had to admit that it was a little cramped. "I love your brother, but don't you think it would be nice if we had our own room? Ben would probably like to have his own room too…"

"Jess…we can't afford a bigger place," Sam said. No matter how much he and Ben wanted a bigger place, they just didn't have the money for it.

"We could if you'd let me help…" Jess said. "And if we're going to live together, then you should be fine with me helping."

"Jess…"

"It wouldn't have to be a big place," Jess said. "Two bedrooms, that's all I'm asking for. But three might be better since you have those two mysterious brothers that I've never met…"

"I told you my family's complicated," Sam said. They hadn't seen Dean and Alec for months now, and they'd barely heard from them. The last time they'd called, Dean had said they would try to call again soon, but he could hear something in Dean's voice. His brother sounded tense and he didn't know why. He'd tried calling again, but his brother's phone was disconnected. He wanted to go up to Seattle to try to find them, but he'd never gotten their address since it was safer not to know. Ben was a mess, but he was trying to hide how worried he was.

"I understand, but you and Ben hardly ever talk about them," Jess said. "And you said Alec and Ben are twins…I don't know, I just want to meet them some day."

"So…two bedrooms might be doable…" Sam said. He didn't want to talk about his brothers. He was scared that they were dead, but he didn't know either way.

"I could live with two bedrooms," Jess said, changing topics for him.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it back out, "Ok, we can start looking for a two-bedroom apartment."

Jess hugged him close and kissed him, "Trust me, you'll love having your own bedroom."

He chuckled and nodded, "I could get on board with that…"

* * *

"I miss having my own bedroom…" Alec muttered as he and Max rode their bikes through Seattle. They were out of money, he, Dean, and Max all lived together in the smallest studio apartment in the whole world, and Dean had finally let him get a job because they were really that desperate for money, but at least his brother had finally dropped the whole 'you have to finish school' thing. Max had helped him get a job at Jam Pony, her bike messenger job that she'd had when they'd met again.

"You sound like a brat," Max said.

"I've had exactly one room that just belonged to me," Alec said. "And now I don't have a room anymore and I have to sleep between you and Dean on a crappy, lumpy bed and I hate it. Even the dumpy motel rooms were better than this…" He barely glanced over at Max to see if she would ask why they stayed in dumpy motel rooms, but thankfully she didn't. Dean had decided they shouldn't tell her about hunting, but it was hard to talk about his past and not talk about hunting. Max knew there was something they weren't telling her, but so far, she wasn't pushing for more information.

"Alec, we should call Ben," Max said. "I know we can't afford cell phones anymore, but we could use a payphone if we can find one."

"I still don't know what to tell him," Alec muttered. "He's gonna be pissed that I didn't tell him sooner, but now I don't know what to do…And Dean doesn't want to call them because then they'll know something's wrong and they'll try to find us, which puts us all in danger."

"It's been six months, Alec…" Max said.

He didn't answer, and instead looked at where the next package was going. He instantly brightened when he saw it was at Dean's work. "Look, we get to go to the shop next," Alec said with a wide smile.

"You're such a little brother," Max teased, trying to push him over.

"Whatever…"

"You hero worship Dean, and you can't argue with that," Max said.

"I have a good reason," Alec muttered. "Dean's the first person I trusted after my brother and he's taken care of me ever since Manticore."

Max rolled her eyes, "That's only the millionth time you've told me that. Even I have hero worship for Dean now. It's second hand hero worship from you."

"Shut up…"

He could see her smile without even looking over at her, but he ignored her and quickly made his way to Dean's work. Most of the guys greeted him as he went through the shop and he and Max stopped to talk to a couple of them before he finally found Dean under an old rust bucket of a car.

"Aren't you two supposed to be working?" Dean asked, sliding out from under the car and smiling at them both.

"We are," Alec said, holding up the package. He knew it wasn't actually for Dean, but it was close enough.

Dean ruffled his hair, which made him smile. Talking about Sam and Ben had just made him sad, but his brother always managed to cheer him up. Dean frowned though, easily picking up on his mood and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No-"

"I brought up talking to Ben again," Max said. "Which always puts him in a mood."

"Hey, when you're ready to talk to him, I'll make it happen," Dean said. "Sam's probably pissed, but we'll just talk him down, and we'll make sure we don't mention anything about our current money situation…"

"Ben's probably never gonna talk to me again…" Alec muttered. "I should've called him right after me and Max ran into each other…"

"Ok, how 'bout this," Dean said. "I'll grab Chinese tonight and we'll figure out a way to fix this. We'll plan a trip to see them if we can't get ahold of a phone, but we'll fix it, ok?"

He finally nodded, feeling at least a little bit better since they might actually be able to fix this. Dean could fix anything, and that wasn't hero worship, that was just the truth.

"C'mon Alec, we need to get moving or else Normal will fire us," Max said.

"He'll fire _you_ , not me," Alec said with a smirk. Max smacked the back of his head, "Ow!"

"That didn't hurt! You're such a baby!" Max said.

"Ok, you two gotta go before you get me in trouble," Dean said with a smile.

"See you tonight!" Alec said, waving to his brother before he followed Max out of the shop.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Sam asked his little brother. Ben was looking around their new apartment, but he couldn't tell if he liked it or not. He was afraid he didn't like it, but he didn't know what he was going to do if he didn't…

"It's fine," Ben said. It didn't sound like he thought it was fine. Maybe he'd jumped the gun getting them a new place, but he really wanted Jess to live with him. He should've talked to Ben about this more before he actually did something about it.

"Ben…"

"Do I get to live here too?" Ben asked softly.

"Well, yeah, where else would you live?" Sam asked back. He really should've talked to Ben more about this. He knew Ben had abandonment issues, so did Alec, so he should've made sure Ben knew for sure that he wasn't just dumping him on the side of the road just because he had a serious girlfriend now.

Ben shrugged back and looked away from him, "I don't know…"

He walked over to his little brother and gently lifted his chin, so he'd look at him, "We're sticking together no matter what. If you don't want to live here, then _we_ won't live here. I'd like for Jess to live with us, but if you're not ok with it, then I'm good with it just being the two of us, ok?"

Ben finally nodded, and then said, "I'd like it if Jess lived with us, and I like the apartment."

"You sure? You don't have to say this is ok if you're not ok with it," Sam said.

"I'm ok with it," Ben said. "It's a lot nicer than our last place."

"And you get your own room," Sam pointed out. Ben looked up in surprise, making him chuckle, "Ben, why'd you think we were getting two bedrooms?"

"I don't know…I thought…" Ben looked away from him as his cheeks heated in embarrassment.

"You get your own room," Sam said instead of making fun of his little brother. Alec would have teased Ben endlessly, but he didn't want to embarrass Ben even more.

"I've never had my own room before," Ben said with a small smile. "Alec went on and on about how awesome it was to have his own room in Pittsburg."

Ben's face immediately fell after he mentioned his brother, so he quickly jumped in. "Hey, I know we haven't heard from them in a long time, but it might be too dangerous for them to call us. We can't just jump to conclusions, ok? They'll call us again when they can."

"I just wanna know for sure that they're ok," Ben whispered.

"Me too…"

"Alec would flip though if he saw this place," Ben said. "It's a lot nicer than their place in Pittsburg…"

"We don't even have enough stuff to fill one room," Sam said with a laugh. "We're lucky that Jess has pretty much everything."

"And she's ok with me still living with you guys?" Ben asked to make sure.

"Yes Ben, she's definitely ok with it because if she wasn't, then we wouldn't still be together," Sam reassured. Ben looked up at him in surprise, so he pulled his little brother into a side hug and said, "We're in this together, ok? I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"Go!" Alec yelled. They'd come out of nowhere, but he'd never forget Lydercker's face and the fear that flooded through him every time he even thought about the man.

Max took off running, and he was right behind her. They both knew the consequences of being too slow and getting caught, and they would rather die than go back to Manticore. But they weren't gonna die without a fight. He was just glad his brothers weren't with him now even though they would know how to get out of this.

Lydecker's men started to lose ground, but he knew they wouldn't give up. But he and Max were faster than they were, they had more stamina, and they knew the streets of Seattle better. He just wished they'd had their bikes, but their bikes wouldn't fit in their apartment, so they had to leave them at Jam Pony. But they could get away a lot faster if they had them.

"Should we try to fight or keep running?" Max asked.

He glanced behind him; they hadn't lost Lydecker's men, but they were far enough ahead that they could hole up in a building and take them out one by one. They couldn't go back home while there was still danger, so they needed to take them out.

"Go to that abandoned looking place with half the windows out," Alec said. "We'll find a good spot to make it hard for them to surround us."

"You think that'll work?" Max asked.

"No, but I don't have a better idea," Alec said.

"I hope this works…" Max muttered.

He silently agreed with her, but he didn't know what else to do. Calling Dean was out because they didn't have phones and he didn't want to drag his brother into this, but he wasn't about to go back to Manticore either, so it had to work.

They ran inside, and quickly found a good place on the second floor to hide out. Max took one side while he took the other, and then they just had to wait. He met Max's gaze, and he smirked to help reassure her that everything was going to be ok. She smiled back and shook her head in amusement. At least if he died now, then Max's smile would be his last good memory.

They had to focus after a minute though because heavy boots were heading their way. It wasn't long before the first man ran in, but Max made it look easy when she took him down. He took down the next one, and even though he wanted to just shoot them, he didn't want to draw everyone up there at once.

But he didn't have to wait long before there were too many up there anyway to worry about staying quiet. He shot one man, and then quickly elbowed another one in the nose. He looked to make sure Max was still doing ok, but he didn't have to worry because she was kicking ass. If they weren't best friends, then he'd really want to kiss her after they made it through this.

He took in a sharp breath when one of the guys actually managed to shoot him in the left side, but there wasn't anything he could do about it right then. He had to try to fight off two guys at once while he was bleeding and trying to gasp in more air. All of his breath left him though when Lydecker slowly walked into the room. The man looked at him with disdain as one of his men shoved him against the wall and put his forearm against his throat, cutting off his airway. He glanced over at Max, but saw she was in the same position he was in.

"494, where's 493?" Lydecker asked.

"Bite me," Alec snapped.

"I would've thought your Dad would've trained you better than this…" Lydecker muttered. "That was too easy."

"You caught me right after work. It's been a long day," Alec quipped, still struggling to breathe, but willing to sacrifice some air to try to bug the man.

"And, you're too easy to track," Lydecker continued like he hadn't said anything.

"Track? What d'you mean track?" Alec asked with a scowl. Was Manticore really tracking him? Was he the reason he and his brother kept nearly dying?

Lydecker just looked at him, and then asked back, "How do you think we keep finding you? I trained you better than this, and you should've figured this out years ago."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Alec asked, almost desperately.

Lydecker started talking some more, but he was losing his grip on consciousness, so he couldn't catch what the man was saying. He had to do something now, or else he and Max really were going back to Manticore. He looked at the man who was currently trying to kill him to try to see if he had a gun close enough for him to reach, or something useful, and his hope when he saw a grenade in the man's belt.

That would work…he might die, but Max could get free.

He pulled the pin, and then made his move against the guy to get him as far away from himself that he could before the thing blew.

He managed to kick the man back, and then he scrambled as far away as he could. But he could only do so much, and then he was thrown off he feet and everything went black.

* * *

She coughed from the smoke trying to suffocate her, but she had to get up. She'd been thrown off her feet when something suddenly exploded, which made the man who'd held her captive, release her, but she needed to find Alec and they needed to get out of there before the men that survived the blast came back for round two.

She pressed her hand against her right shoulder to try to stop the bleeding and slowly stood up. She had to lean back against the wall to stop the room from spinning, but then started to scan the destruction. There were quite a few bodies, but she didn't see Alec's lean form among the wreckage. He might've been too close to the blast…

No, he couldn't be gone. He was her best friend…he couldn't be dead.

"Alec?" Max breathed. She wanted to yell for him, but she could hardly breathe because of the smoke. She'd just have to find him herself.

She pushed off of the wall and slowly started to walk to the place she'd last seen her best friend. She felt panic when she didn't immediately find him. What was she going to do if he was dead? What was she going to tell Dean? They both needed Alec. They were sort of a family now, but the two of them couldn't do this without Alec. He was the glue. He was annoying as Hell, but he could always make her smile.

"Alec?" Max softly called out again, just praying that he'd answer her this time, that he'd slowly sit up and give her his cocky smile and be perfectly fine.

She moved a little further into the room, and nearly breathed out in relief when she saw his old, worn out boots under a pile of wreckage. She still didn't know if he was alive or not, but she'd definitely found him. She ran over to him and quickly got the piece of wall that was covering him, off of him.

"Alec, can you hear me?" Max asked, dropping to her knees beside him and shaking his shoulder. He didn't wake up, but she could hear his ragged breathing, so he was still alive. He was bleeding pretty badly from his left side and he had a cut over his eye, but she couldn't tell if he'd broken anything because of the explosion.

She tapped his cheek repeatedly until finally his beautiful green eyes opened again. "Max?" Alec breathed.

"Hey, I'm here," Max said. Alec's eyes landed on her, but he frowned and didn't say anything to her. "C'mon, we need to get out of here before they come back to life." Alec still didn't say anything, which was more concerning than the blood leaking from his body. She shook his shoulder just a little bit, but he winced in pain, so she quickly stopped. But they needed to leave as soon as possible.

So, even though she caused him more pain, she forced him to his feet and kept him standing.

"Ok, we're going home, we're going to get Dean, and then we're out of here, right?" Max asked, just hoping Alec would answer her. But her friend stayed quiet, and she let him stay quiet because he was in pain and he needed his brother. She just hoped Dean would get home on time and that no one from Manticore would follow them. She didn't know what Lydecker meant about tracking Alec, but she hoped he had been blasted into a million pieces. She knew it wasn't likely, but she could hope.

She wrapped her arm around Alec's waist and pulled his arm over her shoulders. He was quite a bit taller than her, but she was an X5, so it wasn't a problem to practically carry his weight. "Alec, hang in there, ok? I'm getting you to Dean, so just hang in there."

* * *

He knew something wasn't right as soon as he got out of the Impala. It was a gut feeling that he'd had more than once, and he hated it. He pulled his gun as he slowly walked up to their apartment, just praying that Alec and Max were both ok and were both inside.

Their door was open a crack, there was a bloody handprint on the door frame, the lights were off, but there was no sound from inside. Someone was here, but he didn't know if it was his family or if it was Manticore.

He pushed the door open, but immediately staggered back from the fist that hit him square on the jaw. He was just about to pull the trigger, but managed to stop himself before he shot Max.

"Dean!" Max breathed in relief, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Are you hurt?" Dean asked even though the only thing he wanted to know now was where his brother was. Max nodded against him but didn't elaborate. "Ok, where's Alec?"

"I got him to the bathroom to try to patch him up, but…I think we need to take him to the hospital," Max whispered.

He ran to the bathroom before Max was done and had to clench his jaw when he saw his little brother nearly unconscious on the floor. He was sitting up slightly, leaning against the wall, but he didn't even look up at him when he ran in.

He slowly crouched down in front of his brother, putting his hand against his shoulder when he jumped in surprise. "It's just me," he softly reassured. "What happened? How'd they find you guys?"

"He won't answer," Max said. "He hasn't said anything to me this whole time…"

"I think they might be tracking us," Alec whispered. His voice sounded terrible, and he looked like he was about to pass out, but he managed to stay conscious.

"Alec?!" Max said in surprise.

He frowned when his little brother didn't look over at Max, or even acknowledge that she was talking to him. Alec and Max didn't always get along, but they loved teasing each other and he knew Alec wouldn't ignore her, especially after something like this.

"Did the bullet go straight through?" Dean asked Alec instead of asking what was going on between him and Max. He'd get back to the part where Alec thought they were tracking them after he took care of him.

"No…" Alec breathed.

"Dammit…" His little brother got shot in a bad spot, and he wasn't sure he could get the bullet out without killing him. If he hadn't already punctured his lung, then it would definitely collapse when he tried to get the bullet out. It looked like a hospital was going to be their only option, but Manticore could easily find them if they went to the hospital, tracking them or not.

"He wasn't answering before…" Max said. "But I think he hit his head…and I couldn't tell if anything was broken or not."

He watched his little brother while Max was talking, but Alec stayed focused on him. He searched his brother's face to see what was wrong, trying to get to the real issue besides the fact that Manticore had nearly killed him again.

"Alec…can you hear me?" Dean asked softly.

Alec looked at him for a second before he slowly shook his head no. "I can't hear anything…" Alec whispered.

"What?!" Max exclaimed.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it back out before he gently pulled Alec in for a hug. He knew he needed to get the bullet out of his little brother and patch him and Max up, but Alec couldn't hear him, so he knew he needed to just hold him for a minute before they tried to fix their latest disaster.

He kissed the side of Alec's head, and then carefully got his little brother against the wall again. "Are you reading my lips?" Dean asked. Alec nodded, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. He gently wiped away Alec's tears before Max could see and asked, "Do you want me to switch over to sign language?" Alec nodded again, so he slowly signed, 'I'm pretty rusty, but I still remember how to do most of it.'

Alec smiled just a little bit, and then signed back, 'I want to call Ben.'

'I'll do you one better,' Dean signed. 'I'm going to patch you up the best I can, and then we'll meet them somewhere, ok?'

'Ok,' Alec signed.

'I need to get some supplies, but I'll be right back,' Dean signed. It was weird using sign language again; Ben and Alec still used it all the time, but he and Sam hadn't really gotten the hang of it when they'd needed to use it before, but they may need to get used to it now. If he couldn't find a way to fix Alec's hearing, then that's how they were going to have to communicate.

He stood up after Alec nodded that he'd be ok, and quickly ran back to the car to get as many supplies that he could. He knew they needed to move, but if he could get the bullet out of Alec, then they could drive a lot longer and get a lot further from Manticore. He knew it was going to be dangerous to go see Sam and Ben, but he needed their help. He didn't know how to help Alec, and he didn't want to be alone in this. Besides, Alec wanted his brother, so, he was going to get Alec to his brother.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	38. Chapter 38

He knew he should just be thankful that he was still alive, but he wasn't exactly dealing with this very well. He knew it just happened and he knew he had a lot of other things to think about, but he was terrified his brother would leave him because he couldn't hear anymore. Maybe it wasn't permanent, but he didn't know that. And he didn't know what they were going to do about Manticore tracking him.

He looked up when Dean suddenly tapped his foot to get his attention. 'You still with me?' Dean slowly signed. He nodded, but quickly looked away from his brother again. He knew Max was standing in the doorway, but he couldn't look at her right now. Dean hit his foot again until he looked up, 'Everything's going to be alright. We're going to take this one step at a time. First, I'm going to try to get the bullet out. If that doesn't work, then we'll start driving until we're far enough away to go to a hospital.'

'What about the part where Manticore is tracking me?' Alec tiredly signed back. He was still losing blood, and he was going in and out of consciousness, which was never a good sign, but they couldn't go anywhere if Manticore was tracking him. 'We need to find out how they're doing it…'

'Tell me exactly what Lydecker told you,' Dean said, gently easing him all the way to the floor. His brother put his pillow under his head, and then carefully cut off his shirt, revealing his still bleeding bullet wound. His side was stained with his blood and he could see some bruises already appearing at his hips from the grenade. He knew he'd have more bruises soon since his entire body hurt, but his bullet wound was hurting him the most.

He looked up at Dean to see what he thought and saw that his brother was trying to keep himself together for his sake. He knew Dean needed to focus on trying to get the bullet out of him, so he started talking out loud, "He told me I was too easy to track, he trained me better than this, and I should've figured this out years ago."

'You ok reading my lips again for a while?' Dean asked. He missed a few words, but he could fill in the gaps easily enough. Dean was trying to take care of him, and it would go faster if he didn't have to stop and sign to him every two seconds.

"Yeah," Alec breathed.

'Is that son of a bitch dead?' Dean asked, his jaw clenched. His big brother was pissed, and he knew he was pissed because Lydecker nearly killed him again, not because of anything he did. It took him a while to figure that one out, but Dean had told him enough times that if he was actually mad at him, he'd tell him.

"I don't know…But my guess is that he's still alive," Alec said. "He's like a cockroach…"

Dean took a deep breath, but then focused on his gunshot wound again. He winced when Dean started to clean it out, but he knew it was just going to get worse. Dean looked up again and said, 'He said you should've figured this out years ago? What did he mean by that?'

"I don't know, but the last time I saw him _was_ years ago," Alec said. "So, maybe he did something when he had us. I was in surgery for a long time…they could've put in a tracker while I was out. They put me under that time, so I don't know what all they did…"

'But if they've been tracking you all this time, then why haven't they been at our doorstep every two days?' Dean asked.

"Maybe he was lying?" Alec asked more than said. He was too tired to really think about this right now, and his side felt like it was on fire. "But my lung collapsed on my left side that time, so they could've put something in me. Guess you could see if you find anything this time…"

'Alec, you know I hate this,' Dean said. His brother quickly switched over to sign language, signing, 'I hate that I have to get this bullet out of you and that we can't take you to the hospital. I don't want to do this.'

'We don't have a lot of time left,' Alec slowly signed back. He was feeling pretty lightheaded, so he knew Dean either needed to do this now, or they needed to risk the hospital. 'I'm feeling worse, so we need to do this. I know it's going to suck, but I also know you can do this.'

'Ok, you just relax, and I'll do what I can,' Dean signed. 'If I get in there and I know I can't get it, then we're going to a hospital.'

'Ok,' Alec signed. 'But I want to close my eyes while you do this. It makes feel sick to see this part…'

'You better stay alive,' Dean said out loud. He hated that he still couldn't hear him, but he knew how his brother would sound when he said this, and it reassured him to know that Dean still said it. His brother brushed his hair back and made sure he was comfortable before he reached for the supplies that he needed.

He closed his eyes and said, "If you need me to know something…you've gotta shake my shoulder…don't forget…" He didn't look to see if Dean heard him or not, but then his brother gave his hand a gentle squeeze, so he didn't have to look. He took a steadying breath and tried to forget about what was going to happen.

* * *

"Dean…"

"I don't want to talk about it," Dean said. "And I'm not going to talk about him like he can't hear. I'm going to get the bullet out and I'll try to find the magical tracker that may or may not be there, and then we'll move him."

"Do you know how to do this?" Max asked.

"Wish I didn't," Dean muttered. He hated that he'd had to learn this stuff for his family, but he knew Alec felt better if it was someone from his family fixing him up instead of a doctor he didn't know. He took a deep breath, and then said, "I'm gonna need your help. Usually I'm the one handing Dad stuff, but Dad's not here, so you'll have to help me, ok?"

"Dean…I think we should take him to the hospital," Max said. "He…he can't hear…"

"I'm doing this. Do you want to help me or not?" Dean snapped.

"I'll help," Max said. "I'm sorry, I just…He's my best friend…"

"Alec's your best friend?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, why?" Max asked, scowling back at him.

"You two fight all the time," Dean said with a laugh. "I thought you hated each other."

"Are you serious?" Max asked. He shrugged back, so she said, "It might not look like it, but we're best friends. We stay up late and just talk since he can't sleep sometimes, and even when he can sleep, he stays awake for me because I don't sleep like normal people do. He talks Normal out of firing me every other day at work, and he talks me out of kicking the guy's ass every time he pisses me off. He always knows how to make me laugh because he knows me better than anyone else. So, I don't want to lose him, and I can't stand the fact that he can't hear, and I didn't know he couldn't hear until you asked him. He wouldn't talk to me…I just thought he was mad at me for Manticore finding us."

"How many times were you right in front of him when you were talking to him?" Dean asked.

"Not very many…"

"He can't read lips if he can't _see_ your lips," Dean said. "Besides, I've known him for a long time. He looks at people when they're talking to him even if he's mad at them. He didn't look over at you when you were talking because he didn't know you were talking. And I know he's not mad at you."

"How do you know that?" Max asked.

"I'm his big brother. I know things," Dean said.

"You didn't know we were best friends," Max pointed out.

He rolled his eyes, but then decided that he needed to hurry up and get this over with. He looked over at Max and said, "If he starts losing too much blood, you'll have to help me set up a blood transfusion."

"You're not thinking of using your blood, right?" Max asked to make sure.

"You're hurt, so you're out," Dean said. "And it's just a worst-case scenario…" But he knew that with his family, the worst-case scenario was probably the only likely scenario. He should just take Alec to the hospital right now, but he was terrified that he'd never see his little brother again if he brought him to a hospital. He disappeared once from a hospital, it could happen again. "This is gonna be a miracle if this works…" Dean mumbled under his breath.

He carefully cut into his little brother, trying to ignore his little brother's sharp breath of pain, and worked at trying to make sure he didn't lose him.

"How do you know how to do all of this?" Max asked after he'd been working for a while. Alec had passed out after the first few minutes, which he'd been thankful for, but now he had Max checking his pulse and his breathing every two minutes to make sure he was still alive.

"When your little brothers can't go to the hospital, you pick up a few things," Dean muttered.

"Dean, you could be a doctor," Max said. "You know more than just a few things…You've gotten bullets out of Alec before, haven't you?"

"This isn't the first time Manticore's found us," Dean hedged. He definitely wasn't going to tell Max about hunting right now, if ever. But he had to tell Max something truthful, or else she'd never drop it. "My Dad usually does this. He learned as much as he could, and then he taught me just in case something happened to him. Most of the time the bullet goes straight through, but Alec's got the worst luck of us all…Dad always got the bullet out of him, but then it'd be up to me to take care of him. Ben was good at comforting Alec, but I was the go-to for postop care."

"Manticore found you guys when they were younger?" Max asked.

"Yeah…Alec got seizures after the escape, so we took him to the hospital to get him checked out. We didn't know tryptophan was what helped until after that trip to the hospital, but the doctor there threw up a lot of red flags because he kept testing Alec's blood, so Manticore caught on and tried to find us…" Dean said. It helped to talk; it helped him think that it wasn't his little brother that he was cutting into and possibly killing. "The boys got to go to school, but then they got into a fight and got suspended, so we took off again. I don't know how they finally found us, but they did…I never got the whole story on what happened in the truck that Ben and Alec were in, but one of the guards broke Alec's ribs and his lung collapsed. Lydecker had him taken to medical, and they did surgery on him, which is when we think they could've planted the tracker."

Max was quiet for a few minutes, but then asked, "How do you two know sign language?"

"I got hurt when they were 11, and I was in pretty bad shape, so we were staying in the hospital," Dean said. "I was mostly unconscious, but something happened to Alec while we were there, and he got beat up pretty bad and his jaw was broken, so it was wired shut. He couldn't talk for a long time, so Ben decided they should learn sign language. Me and Sam never really got the hang of it, but the boys still use it all the time." He skipped over the part where Ben got possessed by a ghost and beat up his brother since that would take way too much explaining.

"Why do you call them the boys?" Max asked softly.

"What?" Dean asked with a frown, looking up briefly before he quickly focused on Alec again.

"The boys…or the twins, whenever you talk about Ben and Alec, you usually call them the boys," Max said.

He blushed and kept his gaze away from Max and mumbled, "I don't know…I don't even notice it…"

"You took care of them, didn't you?" Max asked. "Even before you all split up, and when your Dad was still there, you took care of them…"

"Dad worked a lot," Dean admitted. He didn't want to say anything bad about his Dad or how he raised them, but _he_ was the one who had taken care of the boys; the twins and Sammy. He made sure they made it to school on time, that they were fed, had clean clothes, and that they got as normal of a life as they could before they split up. "But Alec always trusted me more than Dad, so it was always easier for me to take care of him. And Ben hated moving all the time, but I tried to make sure he always got to go to school, which is one of the reasons why he went with Sam when we split up. But Alec's right, he's gonna be pissed that we kept you a secret…but he's gonna be even more pissed that Alec's hurt. I don't know what we're gonna do about his hearing…"

"It might just be temporary," Max said. "He was really close to the explosion, so maybe it just knocked out his hearing temporarily."

"Maybe…" Dean muttered. He really hoped they could do something for Alec, but this was way out of his element. "Holy shit…I got it," Dean said suddenly, holding up the bullet. He'd gotten it without killing his little brother.

"Do you see any kind of tracker?" Max asked.

"I gotta close him up," Dean said. "I don't know enough about surgery to try to find the tracker now…"

"What if we shock him? Would that deactivate it?" Max asked.

"He's been shocked before, I don't think it would do anything," Dean said.

"But we can't meet up with Sam and Ben if they're still tracking him, right?" Max asked.

"I'll figure out the tracker before we meet up with Sam and Ben," Dean said. "But we need to get movin' now…I'll stitch him up and get him ready to go. Can you pack up whatever we need?"

Max nodded and left the room, leaving him alone with his little brother. He carefully stitched him up, and then wrapped his side before he gently checked him for broken bones. He probably should have checked him sooner, but the bullet wound was his main concern. The back of his head was bleeding and so was his left ear, he knew his back was bruised and he had a few other bruises, but other than that, he was actually ok.

"Alright little brother, looks like you're pretty good all things considered," Dean whispered. "We just need to figure out this tracker thing and your hearing, but your only other injury is your bullet wound and you'll probably have a headache, but that's it."

He pressed against Alec's ribs to make sure none of them were broken but stopped when he felt a small bump on one of his ribs. He'd checked Alec's ribs before, but he didn't remember feeling this, or if he did, he'd probably thought it was just from when he'd broken it before.

"Ok, I know I've already put you through a lot, but I'm just gonna check one more thing, ok?" Dean said to Alec. He picked up the scalpel again and made a cut above the bump. He could be wrong, and he could just be causing Alec more pain, but if he was right, then they'd have the tracker and could go straight to Sam and Ben's apartment.

Alec weakly groaned when he cut a little deeper, but then he could see something that didn't belong. He got the tweezers and carefully pulled the tiny device out of his brother. He wanted to just stomp on it and get rid of it as soon as he could, but then he had a better idea.

He stitched up Alec's new cut and bandaged it before he carefully picked Alec up and carried him out of the bathroom with the device still held in his hand.

"Max, you ready?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Max said, walking over with his and Alec's duffle hanging off of one arm, and her own bag in her other. "Where to?"

"We're gonna head to the bus stop before we head down to Sam and Ben," Dean said.

"What? Why are we going to the bus stop?" Max asked in confusion.

"I got the tracker," Dean said. "So, we're gonna send Lydecker for a ride…"

* * *

"Jess, you know you don't have to make dinner for us, right?" Sam asked from the kitchen.

Jess and Sam were making them dinner while he was sitting at their little kitchen table reading one of his textbooks. He'd been on the same page for the last 20 minutes though because he just couldn't comprehend what the words were actually saying.

"I know, but I'm trying to cheer Ben up and you're not really the best cook…" Jess said with a small smile.

"He's just worried," Sam said. "He had a bad dream last night that Alec was hurt, so now he's freaked out and it doesn't help that he hasn't heard from them…"

"I can still hear you," Ben mumbled. He couldn't shake the dream, especially since they hadn't heard from their brothers. Alec could be dead now and he'd never know because they couldn't call, they didn't know where they lived, and they hadn't heard from them in months. He'd never hated splitting up more than he did now.

"I know you can," Sam replied. "I'm not trying to be quiet, I'm trying to get you to actually talk to me." He ignored his brother and went back to looking at the same page that he had memorized by now. Dinner did smell good, so at least he had that to look forward to. Sam suddenly walked up next to him and said, "You've been looking at that same page for a long time…"

"I already finished my homework, so it doesn't matter," Ben said.

"I know you think something's wrong, but I know Dean would call us if that was true," Sam said. "You had a bad dream last night, and it freaked you out."

"It's more than just a bad dream," Ben said. "My side kinda hurts too and you know twins can sometimes feel the other's pain."

"Ben, I don't have any way to get into contact with them," Sam said. "Otherwise I would. I've even tried to call Dad to try to check on them, but he won't answer either…"

"Maybe we should go to Seattle," Ben suggested even though he already knew Sam's answer.

"We don't even know if they're still in Seattle," Sam said. "And-"

They both looked up at the quiet knock at the door, and he quickly got up before Sam could do anything. He didn't want to talk about this anymore, so he would get the door before Sam could. He didn't know who it could be, but it didn't matter. He just opened the door, but then froze.

Dean was standing on the other side of the door. His older brother looked up when he opened the door and gave him a small smile. Dean looked skinnier than he remembered and there was blood all over his shirt and pants, but he was alive, and he was standing right in front of him.

He threw his arms around his older brother's neck and hugged him tight, making him grunt at the impact. He wanted to know where Alec was since he wasn't standing right behind their older brother, but Dean was here, which meant Alec had to be here somewhere. Unless he was dead, but he wasn't going to think about that.

"Ben, who is it?" Sam asked.

He didn't answer, but Dean whispered, "I gotta talk to you and Sam, so you gotta let go."

"Ben?" Sam asked, walking closer. "Dean?! What-"

"Alec's in the car, but I wanted to talk to you before I brought him up here," Dean said.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Manticore found him again, and-wait is someone else here?" Dean asked. His brother tried to see around him and Sam, but they were both in the way.

"Yeah, my girlfriend Jess is here. She lives with us," Sam said. "Which you would know if you ever called us."

"Sam, I can't go into this right now. Alec's hurt…bad, and I don't know what to do," Dean said.

Sam immediately pushed past Dean and headed for the stairs, "Alec's hurt that bad, you take him to the hospital! Or better yet, you call us, so we can help you!"

"Sam, it's more complicated than that," Dean said, running after Sam to try to stop him. He was right behind Dean; he wanted to see Alec too, but Dean was acting weird and he wanted to know what was going on. "Sam!" Dean yelled, almost desperately, when they were just a few feet from the car.

"Do you even know how worried we were about you two?!" Sam yelled back. "All you had to do was call, Dean!"

His oldest brother was about to yell back, but he saw someone else in the car who wasn't Alec and asked, "Dean, who else is in the car?"

"We should've talked first," Dean grumbled, walking the rest of the way to the car. The other person got out once Dean got there, and he saw that is was a woman. She was pretty with brown hair and brown eyes, and she gave him a small smile when she got out. She looked really familiar, but he was more concerned with his brother's condition right now instead of figuring out who she was. "Did he wake up at all?" Dean asked the woman. She shook her head no, so Dean got somewhat in the car and carefully got Alec back out. "There's someone else here, so I'm not sure what we're gonna do…" Dean said to the woman. "We might be going to a motel here in a second, but maybe I can get him some water first."

"Dean, we're not letting you leave," Sam stated. "I don't know who this is or what problem you have with my girlfriend, but Alec's my brother too and he's staying here."

Dean started walking towards the two of them but stopped in front of them with Alec in his arms. His brother looked terrible, but he could tell that he was still breathing, even if it looked shallow and painful. He only had sweatpants on, and there was blood spotting his bandages. He was way too pale and he looked lifeless in Dean's arms. "That's Max, from your unit," Dean said to him, "Alec ran into her six months ago and couldn't figure out how to tell you. Manticore found them, and now Alec's deaf. You still want us to stay?" Dean challenged, looking at Sam at the end.

His mouth dropped open in shock as Dean walked by them and headed up the stairs.

* * *

He could tell he was being carried when he finally woke up. He knew he'd been out for a long time, but he was still too tired to really wake up. Besides, he knew it was Dean who was carrying him, so it was ok. Dean must have decided they were far enough away from Seattle to stop for a while, which he was grateful for. His side felt like it was on fire and he could tell he had a fever because his muscles ached and he felt like he was freezing. His muscles could also be aching because of the grenade, but it felt like his brain was all foggy still.

He kind of stayed in the little limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness until Dean gently laid him on what felt like a sofa. He opened his eyes in confusion since he didn't think they could afford a motel room with a sofa in it. He just got more confused when he saw that their motel room looked really nice and homey.

'Hey kiddo, you're awake,' Dean said, making sure he was in his line of sight, so he could read his lips.

He nodded and said since he knew this was going to be Dean's next question, "I still can't hear…" He didn't even know if he actually said that out loud except Dean gave him a small smile and nodded in understanding. "Wh-where are we?" Alec asked. "And where's Max?"

His brother took a deep breath, so he knew there was something he wasn't going to like, but before Dean could say anything he caught sight of someone he didn't know, she was really pretty with long blonde hair and she was looking at them in concern. He frowned and looked up at his brother again. 'We're in California…' Dean said.

His eyes widened, and he immediately tried to get up, but Dean wouldn't let him. Pain exploded from his side because of his movement, but they couldn't be here. Sam and Ben would be in danger because of him. Manticore was going to find them, and then everyone was going to die.

Dean shook him slightly, which made him look up in surprise. 'Relax. I got the tracker out and put it on a bus,' Dean said. 'If Lydecker is still alive, then he's going to be looking in the wrong place.'

"And we're staying with Sam and Ben?" Alec asked to make sure.

'Well…this might just be a quick stop for some water,' Dean said. 'Sam's not really happy with me right now…"

"Where's Max?" Alec asked. "And what did Ben say? Is he really mad? Is that why we have to leave? Is Sam mad at me too? You could just take me and Max somewhere, and then you could stay here and try to smooth things over…"

'Hey-'

He looked over to the door as Sam, Ben, and Max all walked in. He had no idea what to do, and he could only focus on one person at a time if they were talking. What if they were all going to start talking? Sam was talking, and Ben and Max were talking, and then the mysterious blonde woman was still in the kitchen, but she could start talking too, and he couldn't figure out what was going on.

Dean caught his attention again and signed, 'Just focus on me, ok? Sam's just yelling at me and Ben and Max are arguing. I'm pretty sure the blonde is Sam's girlfriend, and he told me her name, but I can't remember it. You just try to relax. I'll get you some water, and if this is too much, then we can go to a motel.'

'No…I just can't keep track of the conversation if everyone's talking at once,' Alec signed. 'And I don't want Ben to be mad at me.'

'I'll talk to them to try to get them to slow down,' Dean signed. 'I just broke the news to them, so it might take them a minute to get the yelling out of their systems. But me or Sam need to go out and get supplies. I need to get you started on fluids and antibiotics as soon as possible. You already have a fever, so I need to get everything going.'

'I'm just tired,' Alec signed back. 'And I want to talk to Ben…'

'Ok, I'll go break up their fight, and get Ben over here so you two can chat,' Dean signed.

He nodded and tried to think of what he was going to say, how he was going to explain why they didn't call him sooner, and why he kept Max a secret. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't hear anymore.

He refused to look at his brothers because he didn't want to see if Ben was going to ignore him or not. Ben might be so mad at him that he didn't even want to talk to him, to know why he didn't tell him sooner…

But then the sofa dipped a little at his hip, and he looked to see Ben sitting next to him. His lip trembled slightly, and tears filled his eyes, but he didn't let any escape. He swallowed hard, and then signed, 'Sorry I didn't tell you sooner…I just didn't know how to tell you that me and Max ran into each other, but you shouldn't come to Seattle because it sucks and it might not be safe, which it turned out I was the one who wasn't safe, so it's a good thing you weren't there because you might be deaf now too if you had been there or we could both be back at Manticore right-'

Ben grabbed his hands to make him stop, and then signed, 'I thought you were dead.'

'I feel like death,' Alec signed. 'My side's on fire, so I definitely have an infection. Which makes sense because Dean had to do surgery in the bathroom of our crappy apartment. I passed out and Dean drove all the way here without me knowing. And we think Manticore's been tracking me since we were nine and they got us and took us to that warehouse, but Dean says he got it too while he was doing the surgery, but I'm not so sure, and I think it would be better if me and Dean didn't stay here because we're putting you all in danger by-'

Ben grabbed his hands to make him stop again and signed, 'Are you going to stop rambling or not?'

'You know I get nervous when you're mad at me and I start going on and on to try to explain-'

Somehow just the look on Ben's face told him that his brother was annoyed with him and was amused at the same time. 'Can I at least check you over? I know Dean did a good job, but I'm trying not to freak out,' Ben signed.

'Who's the blonde?' Alec asked instead of agreeing to let Ben check him over.

'Sam's girlfriend,' Ben signed. 'Her name's Jess and she's awesome. She lives with us now and she's always trying to cook for us and make us go places and she's really funny. Sam laughs a lot more now, and I actually have my own room because she forced Sam to let her help pay for rent.'

'Max lived with me and Dean in Seattle, but we lived in a crap apartment where we all had to share one bed,' Alec admitted. Ben's jaw clenched, and he knew he was about to explode, but he looked past his brother and saw that Sam and Dean were arguing about something. "What are they arguing about?" Alec asked out loud.

'Sam's mad because you and Dean were barely scraping by and we could've helped, but Dean wouldn't call us,' Ben signed. Obviously, Ben was siding with Sam in this argument.

'I'm sorry,' Alec signed.

Ben didn't sign anything back to him, and wasn't even looking at him, which meant that his brother might not forgive him this time. He didn't know what he was going to do if his brother didn't forgive him. He'd already lost his hearing, he couldn't lose his brother too. 'Does your head hurt?' Ben finally signed.

He breathed out in relief and quickly wiped away the tear that managed to escape and nodded, 'My head hurts worse than my side, which is saying something.'

'And you can't hear anything? Not even any ringing sounds?' Ben asked.

'There's nothing,' Alec signed. 'I set off the grenade and I was too close, and I hit my head on something, so I don't know if it was because of the grenade or the impact.'

'Ice pack or wet washcloth?' Ben asked.

'Both…' Alec signed with a smirk. 'Ice for my side and washcloth for my head.'

'Are you just cooperating so I won't be so mad at you?' Ben asked.

He smiled just a little bit, but then signed, 'And I really hurt.'

'Do you want to stay here or go to my room?' Ben signed.

'You really think Dean's going to let me disappear right now?' Alec asked, trying for sarcastic, but knowing Dean really wouldn't let him out of his sight right now. Unless he really did need some more supplies, then Dean was going to leave to go get them.

'Ok, I'll go get the ice and the washcloth,' Ben signed.

His brother got up and started to walk away, but then he called out, "And a blanket?"

Ben turned around and rolled his eyes and signed, 'Duh, and I'll get you another pillow and some water.'

He smiled a little and got more comfortable. Ben wasn't mad enough to let him be in pain, so maybe everything wasn't ruined. He dozed off before Ben came back, but then he felt a damp washcloth on his forehead and ice against his side. Ben tucked the blanket around him, and then gently lifted his head and slid the extra pillow under him.

His brother patted his shoulder, and then the sofa moved back slightly as he sat down on the floor next to him. He moved his arm, so his hand was hanging off of the sofa and his hand was resting on top of Ben's shoulder. His brother squeezed his hand, and he fell asleep since he knew he wasn't alone.

* * *

"What the Hell Dean?!" Sam hissed. He wanted to yell at his older brother, but he didn't want to wake Alec up. But it looked like he didn't need to worry about waking Alec up because he was deaf now. He couldn't believe his brother hadn't called them sooner. "Why didn't you call us?! You did surgery on Alec without any of us around?!" he was shouting at Dean now, but he couldn't stop. "He could've died! He could still die! He looks like he's on death's door, Dean, and you know we could've helped!"

"He's still alive!" Dean yelled back. "He would've bled out if I would've waited any longer and a hospital wasn't an option! I was going to take him once he healed to try to figure out what to do about his hearing!"

"Why didn't you just call us!" Sam shouted.

"We don't have any money!" Dean yelled, but then his brother deflated and whispered, "We ran out of money, so we had no way to call. And I didn't want to call. I didn't want you to know."

"And Dean was working two jobs," Max said. He didn't know anything about her except for her name and that she was in Ben's unit back at Manticore. Ben was pissed because Alec knew she was alive, and had apparently become good friends with her, without even telling him. He'd be pissed too, except he was madder at Dean right now than he was Alec. "We were all working and we could still only scrape by," Max said.

"You could've come here," Sam tried. "We're supposed to be in this together."

"Then more than just Alec would be hurt right now," Dean said. "We think they've been tracking him since they were nine. I think I got the tracker out, but it might not be safe to be here…"

"And where are you gonna go?" Sam challenged. "You said it yourself, you don't have any money, so what, you're just gonna let Alec sleep in the car while he recovers? What are you gonna do after he heals, but he still can't hear? What if he needs surgery or hearing aids? Where are you gonna live? What's Alec-"

"Stop Sam! Just stop!" Dean yelled, "I don't know what we're gonna do! I don't know how to help him!"

He pushed his brother too far, so he knew he needed to back off. "Dean, I'm sorry, I just want to help," Sam whispered. "I don't know what to do either, but I want to help."

Dean ran his hand through his hair and nodded before he asked, "Can we crash here for a while?"

"Dean, if you think I was gonna let you leave, you got another thing comin'," Sam said with a small smile. "And I think you're forgetting about Ben…there's no way he's letting you leave."

Dean nodded, "Then we need to get some supplies…Alec needs some fluids, antibiotics, bandages, not to mention more painkillers…"

"Ok, let's go get some supplies," Sam said. "Ben and Jess-shit…" He turned and looked for her and was surprised to see that she was already looking at him from where she was standing in the kitchen. "Don't leave, ok? Just let me talk to Jess real quick, and then I'll go with you, ok? Ben and Jess can stay here with Alec and the three of us can go get as many supplies that we can. Just let me talk to her before we go."

"Fine, but make it quick," Dean said. His brother looked over at Alec, and he knew he wanted to go check on him, but he didn't want to wake him up either. "Me and Max will wait by the car."

He nodded, and then walked over to Jess. She gave him a small smile and said, "I guess I understand a little more about what you meant when you said your family was complicated…"

"I'm sorry, and I wish I could explain right now, but I need to go with Dean-"

"To get supplies for your youngest brother who was shot and who's now deaf?" Jess asked. "Sam, I get it, ok? I know it's complicated, but I meant it when I agreed to move in with you and Ben. I knew it was complicated when you hadn't heard from Dean and Alec in months, and I still stuck around, so I'm not going anywhere now."

"I promise I'll explain when we get back, but I have to go with Dean…I have to try to fix this and make sure they don't leave again," Sam said.

"Go with Dean," Jess said. "I'll still be here when you get back."

He gave her a quick kiss and said, "I promise I'll be back, and then I'll explain as much as I can." She nodded, so he looked over at Ben and said, "If Alec needs anything just text me. I'm going with Dean to get some supplies."

"Ok, but he should stay asleep for a while and we have some food he likes until you guys get back," Ben said. "And if he asks for Dean, then I'll just call you. We'll be ok."

He took a deep breath and nodded, "I'll be back as fast as I can."

* * *

 _More soon..._


	39. Chapter 39

_Sorry for the long wait! Hope you enjoy- there should only be one or two chapters left._

* * *

"Ben…do you need anything?" Jess asked softly. She walked over to Sam's little brothers, but she didn't really know what to do. From what she could figure out just by listening to their conversations, Alec had gotten shot and had lost his hearing because of something called Manticore. For some reason, Alec couldn't go to the hospital because of the Manticore and a tracker, but he really didn't look too good.

She tried to push away the shock of seeing not only Alec looking identical to Ben, but Dean also looked just like them. There were so many questions that she had, but she had to wait until Sam came back to get any answers. She wasn't going to bug Ben about what was going on since he was so worried about Alec.

"Um…I don't know…" Ben said. "I just wish Dean would hurry up and get back…He's bleeding through his bandages."

Ben had started out on the floor next to his brother, but the first small sound of pain that Alec made had him up and next to his brother in an instant. "I think we still have some bandages in the bathroom. I could go get them," Jess suggested.

"I think he tore some of his stitches," Ben said. "I'll have to wait for Dean to come back before I can help him."

"What if we got him to drink some water?" Jess said. "Maybe if you talked to him for a minute, it would help."

"I don't know how to help him…" Ben muttered. "He was freaking out earlier, and I don't think I helped because I was still mad at him for disappearing and hiding Max from me…And I knew something was wrong, but I didn't do anything. He's deaf now because I wasn't there to watch his back."

"You can't blame yourself for this," Jess said, sitting next to Ben on the sofa. She was just barely on the edge of it since she didn't want to sit on Alec, but she wanted to sit next to Ben to try to comfort him. "I don't know what happened, but I don't think Alec would want you to blame yourself. Besides, how were you going to find him? You had no idea where he was, so even if you did go looking for him, you still might not have found him, and you wouldn't be here now to help him."

Ben nodded, and then said, "Ok, I'll try to wake him up to drink some water. You might not want to sit on the sofa for this since he might panic…"

"I'll text Sam and ask him how much longer they'll be," Jess said, giving Ben's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Jess," Ben said with a small smile. "I'll see if we do have any extra bandages in the bathroom. He probably shouldn't bleed on the sofa…"

Ben got up while she went to get her phone, but she stopped when she heard Alec whimper in pain. She ran over to him to see if he needed something, but he cried out in pain as soon as she got there. He jerked violently right before his eyes flew open in panic.

"Where's Ben?" Alec asked, his panic making her panic.

"He, um, he went to-" She didn't know if Alec understood what she was saying, but it didn't matter because he looked away from her and cut her off. So, he probably didn't know she was talking to him.

"B-ben," Alec called out weakly. He tried to get up, but she quickly moved to try to keep him down. It didn't take much to keep him on the sofa, but then he shook harder and his breathing became more erratic. "I n-need Ben," Alec said desperately.

"Ben!" Jess yelled, refusing to leave Alec even if he did need his brother more than he needed her.

"What? What's wrong?" Ben asked, running back in the room. "Alec?!"

"P-pills…we f-forgot pills…" Alec said as soon as he saw Ben.

"Pills?" Jess asked, looking back at Ben.

But Ben was already running out of the room, yelling, "Keep him on his side!"

She looked back to Alec, but her eyes widened again when she saw that he was seizing. He was violently shaking, and it wasn't stopping… She pushed down her panic and forced him to his side; he was heavier than he looked, and it was hard to move him because of his shaking, but she managed to get him on his side like Ben had said.

"Shit…" Ben said as soon as he was back. "I'll take care of Alec, you call Sam and tell him to hurry up."

She tried to stay calm as she ran to her phone, but her hands were shaking so badly she had to dial Sam's number twice before it started to ring.

"Hey Jess, everything ok? How's Alec?" Sam asked as soon as he answered.

She took a calming breath, and then said, "Alec's having a seizure."

"What?! He's having a seizure!" Sam exclaimed, but then Dean's slightly deeper voice was talking to her, "Is he still seizing? Is Ben with him?"

"Yes, he's still seizing, and yes, Ben is with him," Jess said. Dean sounded so calm, so he was helping her calm down.

"Jess, I need to talk to Ben," Dean said.

She ran back to Ben and Alec, and Ben reached out for the phone before she even had to say anything. "Dean, I didn't think about his pills," Ben said as fast as he could. How he knew it would be Dean that he was talking to was beyond her. But the things she didn't know about the Winchester brothers could fill multiple books, she assumed. "He was signing really fast earlier, so I didn't notice if his hands were shaking or not. And he was nervous, so maybe if I did notice any shaking I probably just thought he was nervous."

She couldn't hear Dean's response, but Ben nodded and said, "I know…His shaking's going down now, so I'll try to get him to take his pills."

She gently rubbed Alec's shoulder, trying anything she could to try to help. She wanted to call for an ambulance, but Ben had said to call Sam, so obviously he didn't want an ambulance. Plus, they said something about not being able to go to the hospital because of the manticore. She picked up the washcloth that had fallen from Alec's forehead and gently dabbed at his face and neck.

"Dean, he's bleeding more now," Ben said. "I'll try to stop it, but he's gonna have more seizures if we can't get him stable."

She quickly got up and grabbed some clean towels before she came back and helped get Alec onto his back. Ben took one of the towels and pressed against Alec's side while she picked up the washcloth again.

Ben suddenly dropped her phone and gently tapped Alec's cheek. "C'mon Alec, I know you can't hear me, but you gotta wake up," Ben whispered. "You gotta wake up and take your pills…"

"What did Dean say?" Jess asked.

"They're on their way back, but it's still gonna take a while," Ben muttered. "If he doesn't take his pills, this is gonna get a lot worse…"

"Why don't we try to sit him up? Maybe the movement will help him wake up again," Jess suggested.

"Can't hurt I guess…" Ben said.

Together they got Alec sitting up, but it still took a few minutes to get him to even start to come around. Ben kept trying to coax him back to awareness, but she figured it would work a lot better if he could hear what Ben was saying.

"Alec, try to focus," Ben said, tapping Alec's cheek and moving so he stayed in Alec's line of sight. "You need to take your pills, and then you can go back to sleep."

"Ben?" Alec asked weakly.

"I know you're confused, but just take your pills," Ben said, grabbing Alec's chin and forcing him to look at him. Alec blinked a few times, but then nodded and let Ben help him take some pills. She frowned when she noticed that the bottle of pills had Ben's name written on it in sharpie. She could explain not knowing that Alec got seizures and had to take medicine for it, but Ben? She lived with Sam and Ben, how did she not know that Ben got seizures?

"Ok, just sleep," Ben whispered, gently lowering Alec back down to the cushions. Alec's eyes were already closed, so he didn't know Ben was talking to him, but maybe it was still comforting. "And Dean should be here soon, so you don't have to worry." Ben pulled the blankets up again but kept one of the towels pressed against Alec's side. "He might have another one, but I'm hoping his pills are going to work before that happens…"

"Ben, do you get seizures too?" Jess asked.

"What? Um, no…I mean, I don't think so," Ben said. "I take these just in case, but I've never had one before. Alec gets them bad though. If he gets hurt, he's more likely to get them. He might've taken some earlier, but he's hurt pretty bad. I should've thought about this sooner…"

"There's so much I don't know…" Jess muttered.

"Please don't leave Sam because of us," Ben begged. "We're messed up and most of it's mine and Alec's fault, but don't leave Sam just because he didn't tell you how complicated we were."

"Ben, I'm not leaving Sam," Jess said. "I love him, and he told me from the start that his life and his family were complicated. I knew it could really get complicated because Sam is serious about pretty much everything. I'm not leaving him, and I'm not leaving your family."

"I'm sorry Jess…" Ben said, tears filling his eyes. She quickly crouched down next to him and put her arms around him to hold him close. "I'm sorry we're a mess…" Ben said, his voice thick with tears.

"Hey, it's ok," Jess whispered, rubbing his back. "Everything's ok." Ben didn't say anything, but she could feel him shaking with his silent tears. "Alec and Dean are here. We know for sure they're ok now, right? Alec's hurt, but he's here, so you know for sure where he's at. We're going to take care of him, ok? And what a surprise that someone else came with them, huh? And it looked like you knew her, so that's good. Maybe she's your brother's girlfriend? Or-"

Ben sputtered out a laugh and asked quietly, "Alec or Dean's girlfriend?"

"Alec's," Jess said, smiling since she got Ben to laugh a little. "She looked so worried for him and she kept looking at him…"

"There's no way Alec and Max are together," Ben said. He sounded a little more put together, and there was a tiny bit of amusement in his voice.

"Just you wait and see," Jess said. "I know that look. She likes him."

"She's like my sister," Ben said, pulling away to look at her. "She can't like him like that."

"If you say so," Jess said. She didn't mention the fact that he'd said that Max was like his sister, but not like Alec's sister. It was probably part of whatever Sam was going to explain to her later.

* * *

"Dammit," Dean growled as soon as he got off the phone with Ben. "How could I forget about his pills?" He maneuvered the Impala into a U-turn and sped back to Sam's place. He didn't know if they had enough supplies, but he'd always been there for Alec when he had a seizure. Ben was with Alec now, but he didn't know for sure Alec was ok unless he was there with him.

"Dean, you can't protect him from everything," Sam said. "And Ben and Jess will take care of him until we can get there."

"And when did you expect him to take his pills?" Max asked. "He was unconscious ever since the surgery except for the very short time he was awake and was talking to you. But that was only for a few minutes."

"It was enough time to get him to take his pills," Dean said. He ran his hand through his hair, and then slammed it against the steering wheel. He knew Alec was in bad shape, but he hadn't given him any pills, painkillers or tryptophan.

"How many did Ben say he's had?" Sam asked, his voice soft and soothing. He hated it when Sam used that voice on him because it usually worked. Sometimes it pissed him off, but most of the time it helped calm him down.

"It sounded like just the one, but he's probably gonna have another one before we get back," Dean said.

"Dean, he's gonna be ok," Sam reassured. "We got enough supplies for some IV fluids, and we'll go out again once he's stable. He's probably asleep right now and you know Ben can take care of him."

"Sam, I've been there for all of his seizures," Dean said. "He left his class when he was in 5th grade to find me because he knew something was wrong. He had a seizure a few minutes later, but it was ok because I knew what to do and he knew I could take care of him. And you know that hunt when they were 13 and me and Alec fell through the floor of that old house and Dad had to leave us there? He had a seizure while we were down there waiting, but he was laughing and telling jokes, so it seemed like it was ok…"

"Dean is this about his seizures or about his hearing?" Sam asked.

"Both…" Dean muttered.

"Do you think his hearing is permanently gone?" Sam asked.

"I don't know…"

"He was really close to the explosion," Max said. "But our cells also regenerate, so maybe his eardrums burst, and he needs time to heal."

"And even if his hearing is gone, we know sign language," Sam said. "He can still do everything he used to, it's just going to take some time for him to get used to it."

"I gotta call Dad," Dean said. "He has to know what's going on…"

Sam was quiet for a minute, but then slowly said, "Dean…I've tried calling Dad…"

He frowned since it sounded like something was wrong and asked, "Already? When? We just got here, and you've pretty much been with me this whole time. I would've noticed if you had called Dad…"

"I've been calling him for six months," Sam said. "Ever since you guys fell off the grid…"

"What…" Dean breathed. If Sam had told their Dad that he and Alec had disappeared, he knew his Dad would've found them.

"I can't get ahold of him," Sam said. "And Bobby doesn't know where he is either, so I don't know what else to do."

"Shit," Dean said. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair again, but then said, "Ok…Alec comes first. We take care of him and get him healthy again, and then we'll look for Dad…"

"Ok," Sam agreed.

"You think we should call Ben again? See how Alec's doing?" Dean asked after a few miles.

"Couldn't hurt," Sam said with a shrug.

He picked up the phone again and found the last number that had called him. He only had to wait two rings before Ben answered on the other end. "He's ok," Ben said. "He took some pills and he's sleeping now…I don't think he's gonna have another one, but I'm not 100% sure. And his bullet wound is bleeding again. I think he pulled most of the stitches out from his seizure."

"Ok, we're on our way back," Dean reassured. "I have more gauze in the trunk and we got enough supplies for some fluids, so he'll be ok for a while. We'll have to go out again for antibiotics, but he's gonna be ok."

"Are you gonna be back soon?" Ben asked, sounding like he was 9-years-old again.

"Yeah buddy, we're only a few miles away," Dean said. He stepped on the gas a little harder just so they could get back to their little brothers faster. "Call me back if he gets worse, ok?"

"I will," Ben said before he hung up.

"He still doing ok?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Ben said he's sleeping," Dean said.

* * *

He knew immediately that Dean was back, and he felt so relieved that he nearly fell asleep again. He knew Ben would help him through his seizure, but Dean was always who he went to when he knew he was going to have a seizure. Dean took care of him the very first time he had a seizure, and he'd always made sure to find him when he knew he was going to have another one.

Dean ran his hand through his hair, and then he felt a wet washcloth against his forehead. He could tell he was resting on Dean's legs, which was fine by him. He'd be alright if he could just sleep for a month and heal, but everything hurt even worse than before.

He must have made a sound because suddenly Dean was tapping his cheek to try to get him to wake up. Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes and fell back into his hair when he remembered that his hearing was gone. Dean lifted his shoulders up, and he turned so he could hide his face against his brother's neck. He didn't know if anyone else was in the room or not, but it didn't matter.

Dean's chest rumbled against him, so he knew he was talking to him, he just wished he knew what he was saying. More tears fell once he realized he wouldn't be able to hear his brother reassure him that everything was going to be ok ever again. He couldn't hear, and he might not ever get his hearing back. He screwed up. He screwed up when he was nine and he screwed up again. He just couldn't do anything right.

He gasped when ice was suddenly put against his side. He looked at Dean, who gave him an apologetic smile in return and said, 'Sorry kiddo, you were starting to freak out and I couldn't get you to snap out of it.' Tears continued to fall down his cheeks, but Dean just gently wiped them away. 'We're going to figure this out, ok?'

He nodded, and then asked, "Did you call Dad?"

'Not yet,' Dean said. 'Let's just worry about you for a while.'

"Dad's gonna be so pissed…" Alec muttered. "I should've known they were tracking me. I should've known right when I woke up from surgery that there was a reason they put me under."

'Alec. Focus on me,' Dean demanded, shaking him a little. 'You were nine. You didn't know. None of us knew. Dad didn't know either, so none of this is anyone's fault but Manticore's, ok?'

"Manticore kept finding us because of me," Alec whispered. "We had to split up because of me."

'Let's think about all the good things that are gonna happen now that we know we're not being tracked anymore,' Dean said. 'We're all back together, you found Max since we moved to Seattle, and yes, even though you're hurt worse than you've ever been, you're still alive and you still know what I'm saying because you can read lips. We'll figure out your hearing, I know we will, but until then, we get to enjoy being with our family again.'

He finally nodded, but then said, "I had a seizure while you were gone…I'm sure Ben probably told you already…" Everything hurt, but his side hurt the worst, and he knew he was going to be in pain for a while, but at least Dean was here now.

'I'm sorry I wasn't here, Alec,' Dean said. 'I should've known you were gonna have a seizure. I would've never left if I would've thought about it for a second.'

"It's ok," Alec said.

'It's not, but I'll drop it for now,' Dean said. 'You look like you need some more painkillers and maybe some more ice."

He nodded and watched as Dean got up and went to Sam's kitchen. He hadn't noticed before, but Sam and Ben's apartment seemed nice even though all he could see was the living room and the kitchen. "Where's everyone else?" Alec asked, surprised that not even Ben was in the room still. He wasn't surprised to see the needle taped to the inside of his elbow. His brother probably got him on fluids as soon as he got back, which was good since he really did need to be on fluids.

'Everyone went to bed,' Dean signed once his attention was on him again. 'It's four in the morning.'

"Oh…" Alec muttered.

Dean walked back over to him, giving him three pills and a glass of water. He took the pills without question, and then laid down again. Dean fluffed his pillow before he put a towel wrapped bag of ice against his side, and then held one against his head.

'How bad does your head hurt?' Dean asked.

"Bad," Alec admitted. "I've been seein' double every time I've been awake."

'If that doesn't pass by tomorrow, we're findin' you a doctor,' Dean said. 'We need to find you a doctor anyway, but I was hopin' to go when you've had a little more time to recover…'

"I'll be ok," Alec said. "I just need a little more sleep, that's all."

'You get some sleep. I'll be here if you need me,' Dean said.

He nodded, but then said, "Dean…I wanna be around when you call Dad, ok? I know I won't be able to hear what he's saying, but I wanna be there…"

'Ok Alec,' Dean said, brushing his hair back. 'Go to sleep, ok?'

"Ok…"

* * *

He jumped when the lamp was suddenly turned on. He was just about to fall asleep, but he should've known Jess wasn't going to let him off the hook that easy.

"Sam, why didn't you tell me Ben could have a seizure?" Jess asked.

He frowned since that definitely wasn't what he thought she was going to ask first. "What?"

"Ben could've had a seizure while it was just me here and I wouldn't have known what to do. You should've told me that he could have one," Jess said.

"Jess…we only have pills for him as a precaution," Sam said. "He's never had a seizure before. I didn't think you needed to know since I didn't think he was ever going to have one."

"But Alec gets them," Jess said.

"Yeah, he gets them when he's hurt mostly," Sam said.

"Sam…I've got a lot of questions," Jess said. He didn't say anything, so Jess pressed, "Like why you guys were so calm about Alec getting shot, or the part where he couldn't go to the hospital, and whatever Manticore is…And those are just the biggest ones right now."

"Ok…um, I don't know how much I can tell you," Sam said. "It's too dangerous if you know some of it…"

"Sam, I'm in this," Jess said. "I'm not leaving, but I need some answers."

"And you're sure…you're sure you want to really know what going on with Ben and Alec?" Sam asked. He could tell her about Manticore since she already knew the name, but he couldn't tell her about hunting unless he and Dean had a talk. But he and Ben had had a talk a while back, and Ben had told him that he should tell her about his life since he thought she was going to stay, but he'd wanted to put it off.

"I'm sure," Jess said. "I want to know. I'm not leaving you, and I've lived with you and Ben for a while now, so I think I should probably know."

"Ok, but it's gonna sound crazy," Sam said.

"Sam, Dean carried Alec in here half dead, and you and Ben didn't blink an eye," Jess said. "I've already seen some crazy things."

"Alright, well, Ben and Alec were declared dead after they were born," Sam said. "Their doctor was actually a scientist from Manticore, a secret government place, and she injected them with animal DNA before they were born. After they were born, she took them, but told my parents that they'd died."

Jess's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded for him to keep going.

"Mom died not too long after that," Sam said. "Her and my little brothers died when I was two, so I don't remember a lot of it, mostly just what my Dad and what Dean told me. But there was a fire, which started in my room and killed my Mom."

"Sam…I…" Jess started, but almost immediately stopped.

"There's a lot left," Sam said. "But I can stop if you want me to."

"No…I want to know," Jess said.

He nodded, and then continued, "My Dad was convinced that Ben and Alec were still alive, so, he started looking for them. We moved around a lot, but there was nothing. There was no reason he should've thought they were still alive, but he refused to stop. It took nine years before he found a lead. He dropped me and Dean off at a little motel in Gillette, Wyoming while he got a job at some secret facility away from town. He was there for a while, and then when he came back, he had two little boys with him who were both barely alive."

Jess nodded that she was still ok, which was incredible to him. He thought for sure she'd want nothing to do with him or his family after he told her this, but he was wrong.

"My Dad knew a guy named Donald Lydecker, who worked at the facility and got him the job there in security," Sam said. "He found Ben and Alec, but they just saw him as a guard, so they ran from him when he tried to talk to them. They were in different units at Manticore, since the people in charge didn't think they should be together, but somehow they found each other and they escaped. Max…she was part of Ben's unit, and she escaped too, but those two hadn't known what had happened to any of the other kids that escaped until now. That's why Ben was mad at Alec since he kept Max hidden from him."

"How did your Dad find them?" Jess asked.

"They were running through the woods," Sam said. "They were being chased since Manticore didn't want them to get loose, and they both got hurt out there. Dad tracked them, and I think he was just hoping it was Ben and Alec that he was tracking, but luckily he found them. Alec had hypothermia pretty bad and Ben had gotten shot, so they were both about to die when Dad found them. That's when Dad brought them back to the motel. We took care of them, and eventually we convinced them that they could trust us and that we were a family. They'd been at Manticore their whole lives, so they didn't think they had a family. It was pretty rough for a while, but then we became a real family."

"Why did Manticore take them in the first place?" Jess asked.

"The animal DNA that was added to them," Sam said. "It made them special. Manticore was training them to be the perfect soldier. And they're still after them. That's why we've always been on the run. That's why Manticore put a tracker in Alec when they caught us once and nearly killed us. That's why we had to split up a while back since they nearly killed them again. That's why Alec getting shot…it seems a little more common than it should. And that's why a hospital is out, because we can't let them get caught again."

"So, Manticore…they found him because they were tracking him, right?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, but Dean got the tracker out of him," Sam reassured.

"Dean…he took care of Alec's bullet wound too, didn't he?" Jess asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "We had to learn how to do things since we couldn't take them to the hospital."

"And the seizures?" Jess asked.

"The animal DNA caused a serotonin imbalance," Sam said. "I think since Alec had hypothermia so bad when we got him back…I think it made things worse for him."

"Manticore…when they trained them as kids…" Jess stopped, took a deep breath, and then said, "They were tortured, weren't they?" He hesitated, but then he nodded. "Ben makes a lot more sense now," Jess said.

"What?"

"Sam, anytime we go somewhere, he scans the area like he needs to make sure he knows where all the exits are, how many people are there, that kind of thing. You do the same thing, but not as often as he does," Jess said. "And I found his emergency stash a few weeks ago."

"Emergency stash?" Sam asked.

"Money, some food, a couple knives," Jess said. "I walked into his room to grab his laundry, but there was a floorboard loose. I looked to see if I could fix it, but found a box under the floor."

"They both do that," Sam said. "They want to be ready to run at any moment."

"Wait, you said Max was in Ben's unit, right?" Jess asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, why?" Sam asked.

"Well, earlier Ben said that Max was like a sister to him, but he didn't include Alec in that," Jess said.

"I think Ben's unit was like a family, which was why they wanted to escape together," Sam said.

She smiled a little at him, and then asked, "Did you notice the way Max was looking at Alec?"

He frowned and shook his head no, "Why? Do you think something's going on?" He didn't think his little brothers had ever had girlfriends before, but he could be wrong. Alec flirted a lot since he followed after Dean and tried to be like him, but he didn't think he'd had a real girlfriend before.

Jess shrugged, "I don't know. She just had that look, you know?"

"No…what look?" Sam asked.

"I think she likes him," Jess said. "But I told Ben that and he said she was like a sister to him, which meant she couldn't like Alec, but I think there could be something there."

"If you say so," Sam said in amusement. But maybe that was why Alec had decided they shouldn't know about Max. Maybe he wanted to keep his secret romance a secret for a little while longer…

"Thank you," Jess said. "For telling me. I always knew there was something big that I didn't know about Ben, but I understand your family better now."

"And you still don't want to run?" Sam asked to make sure.

"I'm not going anywhere," Jess said with a small smile.

* * *

"Ben…are you still awake?" Max asked from the air mattress she was laying on.

"Yeah…" Ben mumbled.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Max whispered. Ben had only said about two words to her this whole time, and part of it could be because he was worried about Alec, but she suspected a lot of it had to do with the fact that they hadn't told him anything. Ben didn't say anything, so she said, "Me and Alec worked together at this bike messenger place called Jam Pony. He wasn't a big fan of riding a bike for hours around Seattle. But we still didn't have enough money to get a decent place. Me, Alec, and Dean all had to share a bed, which was a little weird at first, but Alec slept in the middle, which was nice since he's always so warm."

"Why didn't you guys just call?" Ben asked. "I just wanted to know you guys were ok. Alec could've still kept you a secret and Dean could've kept his secret…We didn't even know if they were alive or not."

"You're right…we should've called," Max said.

"I should've been there to have his back," Ben said coldly. "He wouldn't be deaf right now if I would've been there."

"Ben…they ambushed us. They were going to kill both of us, and then Lydecker showed up…" Max said. "There was an explosion…and I thought he was dead. He's my best friend, Ben."

"And he's my brother," Ben growled.

"Ben, you can be as mad as you want at me, but don't take this out on him," Max said. "Please."

Ben was quiet for a few minutes, but then said, "I won't. He's having a hard enough time as it is."

It was her turn to be quiet. She was glad that Ben wasn't going to stay mad at Alec, but she wished she could find a way that he wouldn't be mad at her too. "Hey Ben…"

"Yeah?"

"Will you teach me sign language?" Max asked softly.

"Yeah," Ben said.

She smiled a little since there was still hope that they could fix this.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	40. Chapter 40

'Here you go, kiddo,' Dean said with a small smile. His brother handed him the plate with the grilled cheese on it, which made him smile too. He still couldn't hear, but he was feeling a little better. He could sit up by himself and he was now up to eating grilled cheese sandwiches, curtesy of his oldest brother. 'You eat, and then I'll check your side, ok?' Dean asked.

He nodded and slowly ate his sandwich. Dean sat next to him on the sofa, but they didn't talk about anything. Instead, he watched everything else that was going on. Sam and Jess were both in the kitchen cooking something that he probably wasn't going to be allowed to eat. They were making lovey eyes at each other, which was mildly disgusting. He didn't know how Ben could handle sticking around these two all the time.

He looked away from his brother and his girlfriend and looked over at Ben and Max instead. The two of them were sitting on the floor facing each other. It took him a minute to figure out what they were doing, but then he saw them signing back and forth to each other. Ben was teaching Max sign language.

He looked back at Dean when his older brother hit his leg. 'I'm going to try to call Dad,' Dean signed before he slowly got up.

"He's not going to answer," Alec said out loud. Dean had tried to call Dad at least 50 times already, and he hadn't answered once. Dean even left a message saying that he was hurt pretty badly, but Dad didn't call back.

'I've gotta keep trying,' Dean said, turning around to face him so he could read his lips. 'You just eat, ok? I'll worry about Dad.'

But he wasn't hungry anymore. Something was wrong with their Dad and they weren't doing anything because of him. Dean didn't want to leave him since he was hurt, but they needed to know where Dad was.

He saw Dean look over at Ben, and just barely saw Ben finish saying whatever he was saying, and then Dean was looking at him again. He looked back at his older brother in concern since he didn't know what was going on again. Dean gave him a sad smile, and then signed, 'You need to eat.'

"I'm not hungry," Alec mumbled.

Dean sighed and turned away from him again. He assumed he was talking to Sam this time because Ben was looking over at Sam instead of at Dean, but he couldn't tell what they were saying. He looked away from all of them and quickly wiped away the tear that fell down his cheek. He wanted to just curl up in a ball and pretend that none of this was real, but his side hurt too badly for that to work, and he knew he was going to draw his brothers' attention pretty soon.

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder even though the touch was gentle. Jess smiled at him when he looked over at her, and then grabbed his grilled cheese and put a bowl in his hand instead. He frowned when he saw that it was a bowl of ice cream, but Jess gave him a reassuring smile before she went back to the kitchen with his grilled cheese in hand.

It was chocolate ice cream, which was his favorite…why did Sam have his favorite ice cream? Ben didn't like chocolate ice cream, and neither did Sam. Maybe Jess liked chocolate ice cream…

He slowly ate the ice cream, letting it melt some to make it a little soupy, just the way he liked it. He ended up eating all of it, which was surprising since he really hadn't been eating much at all. He knew he needed to eat to get stronger, but maybe he didn't want to get stronger. He couldn't help his brothers anyway since he couldn't hear, so maybe it'd be better if he wasn't a burden to them anymore.

He jumped when Ben suddenly hit his leg. He glared at his brother for making him jump like that, but Ben just rolled his eyes and signed, 'Are you up for going for a ride?'

He frowned and looked to Dean to see if they were being serious. There was no way Dean was letting him 'go for a ride' right now, he was still too weak. But Dean just smiled back at him and nodded. 'Where are we going?' Alec signed.

'I have something I want to show you,' Ben said out loud, giving him his best puppy-dog look. 'C'mon, I'll help you get up and get dressed.'

'Can we…clear the room…' Alec signed. 'It's going to hurt to move…'

Ben nodded, and then everyone was heading for the door. He was surprised that even Dean was leaving, which meant his big brother wanted him to see whatever it was that Ben wanted to show him. Ben came back over and helped him sit up, but he whimpered at the pain in his side and closed his eyes tight to try to help block it out.

"Are you s-sure this is a g-good idea?" Alec asked, letting the pain show in his voice.

Ben tapped his cheek until he got his eyes open, and then said, 'I know how you're feeling, ok? I know you think you're useless or whatever because you can't hear, but you're not.'

"I can't hunt like this," Alec whispered.

'No kidding,' Ben said with a teasing smile. 'I'd kick your ass if you even tried. But hunting isn't all there is, brother.'

"I don't want to go to school," Alec muttered, thinking that's where Ben was going with all this. He was going to try to get him to agree to stay in California and go to school with him, but he hated school.

'I don't want you to go to school either,' Ben said with a laugh. 'I think you get into more trouble at school than you do hunting.'

"Ok…so what?" Alec asked, wishing Ben would just get on with it. He was tired and sitting up was really starting to hurt his side.

'Let's start with going to the beach,' Ben said. His brother smiled when his eyes widened in surprise. 'Guess what, little brother? We get to have some fun every once in a while. Besides, you love the beach and that'll boost your spirits.'

"I don't need my spirits boosted," Alec grumbled.

'Yeah, you do,' Ben argued. 'You can't live off of ice cream forever…'

"I can if I want to," Alec shot back.

'I don't care if you can hear or not,' Ben said, looking mad. He was actually probably yelling, or getting really close to it. 'You're still my brother and your hearing doesn't change that.'

"I can't just sit around the rest of my life," Alec said, defeated.

'I really hope you're not serious right now,' Ben said, back to teasing.

"What am I gonna do since I can't hunt?" Alec asked seriously.

'Do you really want me to write you a list?' Ben asked back. 'Because I will if you want me to.' He didn't say anything, so Ben said, 'How about we just go to the beach, huh? We can worry about everything else later.'

"Ok…" Alec said.

'Dean told me to check your stitches before we left, and you need a new shirt anyway, so don't argue with me on this,' Ben said. He rolled his eyes, but let Ben unwrap his side and check his stitches. 'I'm guessing your side's killing you, right?' Ben asked, looking up at him.

"Understatement," Alec admitted.

'Maybe this is a bad idea…' Ben said with concern.

"I didn't tell you the truth just so you could pull the plug on my walkabout," Alec said.

Ben cracked a surprise smile, and actually nodded instead of arguing with him or trying to convince him that staying was probably a good idea. 'You're right,' Ben said. 'I should just be glad that you admitted to your pain.'

"Don't get used to it," Alec said.

'I wouldn't dream of it,' Ben said. 'Now, c'mon, you gotta get dressed before Dean decides we're taking too long.'

* * *

"What the hell is takin' them so long," Dean grumbled. He knew the twins needed time to talk, but it killed him to not be there to help Alec, to not make sure his stitches looked ok, or to help him get up and hold him up when he started to pass out. But he knew Ben could take care of Alec, he just needed to try to relax.

Sam laughed, "They've only been up there for maybe 10 minutes. Just give them a chance to have whatever talk they need to have."

"Alec's starting to be depressed…" Dean said. "He's not eating much."

"Why do you think Jess brought out the ice cream?" Sam said, trying to lighten the mood he was in. "She always feels better when she eats ice cream, and surprisingly it worked."

"Maybe I should just go check on them…" Dean muttered.

"Hey, if anyone can get through to Alec, it's Ben," Sam said. "Just let them talk. Try to relax for just a minute."

"Sam, I haven't found anything to help him with his hearing," Dean said, letting his brother hear the guilt in his voice. He should've moved them when he had the chance. He should've called Sam sooner, so they could have a little help with money, and then he wouldn't have needed two jobs to stay afloat, Alec wouldn't have needed a job, Alec and Max could've been safe, or he could've been with them.

"It hasn't even been a week yet," Sam said. "We're not gonna find a solution in a day." Sam was quiet for a second, and then said, "Dean…we might not find a solution. He might actually be deaf."

He nodded, "I just want him to be happy…"

"He will be," Sam said. "It just might take a while."

He took a deep breath, but quickly smiled when he saw Alec and Ben slowly walking down the stairs. Alec was trying to shrug off Ben's help, but his brother wouldn't let him. Ben stayed glued to Alec's side the entire way down, which was good because his little brother was barely on his feet. He was seriously regretting agreeing to this, but Sam and Ben said this was a good idea.

He walked over to Alec's other side to lend his support just in case it was needed, but Alec just glared at him. He chuckled since that was more like his little brother.

"He give you any trouble?" Dean asked Ben.

"What do you think?" Ben shot back.

"I can't hear, but I know you're talking about me, so stop," Alec grumbled.

He smiled a little as he helped Alec into the front seat. He saw his little brother wince in pain, but he quickly covered it up. Alec didn't want to be forced to go back to the sofa even though he was still hurt. He got in the driver's seat while Ben got in the back, and then followed Sam to the beach. He wanted to tease his brother for driving a girly car, but he assumed it was Jess's car. He was surprised that Max decided to ride with Sam and Jess instead of him, but maybe her and Ben were still having issues.

They rode to the beach in silence, which was still really weird to him. Alec was so quiet now…He knew it hadn't even been a week yet, but he missed hearing Alec talk and make jokes. And even when Alec did talk, he whispered. It was like he wasn't sure how loud he should be since he couldn't hear himself. He missed Alec being loud and annoying.

He parked next to Sam's car once they were there, and he was about to run around to help Alec out of the car, but Max was already there. He smiled a little when he caught sight of Alec's wide smile when he saw Max. He saw Max smile too, and then Alec actually accepted her help out of the car. His smile turned into a smirk when his little brother slowly walked with Max down to the water. His little brother might get a girlfriend here pretty soon.

"Do you think something's going on between Alec and Max?" Ben asked suspiciously.

"You sound like you don't want there to be something going on," Dean said, looking back at Ben.

"Max is like my sister," Ben said like it was obvious.

"Is she like Alec's sister?" Dean asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Um…no…I guess not," Ben said. "Do they really like each other like that?"

He chuckled, "I don't know, but if he does like her, then we just gotta let it happen, ok?"

Ben was quiet for a minute, but then said, "He's really sad Dean…"

"I know he is," Dean said. "But I also know this just happened and there's still hope that we can get his hearing back."

"Dean…maybe…maybe this is better," Ben whispered.

He frowned and turned in the front seat to face Ben. "What?"

"He can't hunt like this, so he'll be safer," Ben said as fast as he could. "And you two could stay here and we could all be a family…a normal family. And we wouldn't have to move around anymore and Manticore won't find us now since you got rid of the tracker. I just want us all to be safe…"

"I want him to be safe too, but we both know that's not who Alec is," Dean said sadly. "Even if we stop hunting, then he'll find something else to do that's dangerous. He won't just sit around, or get a safe job, and even if he did, trouble would still find him. He went to school, he got beat up, we moved to Seattle, Max ran him over with her bike. He's just a magnet for that kinda thing."

"Plus Dad's missing…he's not gonna just let that go," Ben said.

"I know," Dean said. "But we'll wait to figure that out until he's back on his feet."

"But we'll all do it together, right?" Ben asked. "I don't want you and Alec, and even Max, to just go off again without me and Sam. I don't like it when we split up…"

"We'll all look together," Dean reassured. "I don't want to split up again unless we absolutely have to."

Ben nodded, but then asked, "Did you tell Max about hunting?"

"No…I didn't know how she would react, so we've kept it a secret," Dean said. "How much does Jess know about our life?"

Ben shrugged, "I think she knows about me and Alec now, but I don't know what else Sam told her. But we can trust her, I know we can."

"I believe you," Dean said.

"Are we gonna tell them about hunting?" Ben asked.

"I don't know…I gotta talk to Sam about it first," Dean said. "Dad would be pissed if we told them, but he's not here, so I guess it's up to us if we tell them or not."

Ben nodded and said, "Well, I vote we tell them."

"Yeah?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Ben said. "They're part of our family too."

* * *

Alec looked up in surprise when Max suddenly grabbed his hand. He thought maybe she was trying to get his attention, so she could talk to him, but she just smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He decided he would keep holding her hand since it was nice. His side was still hurting pretty badly, but Max was keeping their pace slow as they walked down the beach.

He couldn't hear the waves, but it was ok because he could still watch them. It felt peaceful here and he liked it. He'd always liked the ocean. He was glad his family decided he was ok enough to see this.

Maybe Ben was right. Maybe he could do something other than hunting. He'd miss helping people, but if he didn't want to hunt anymore, then maybe he could convince Dean to stop too. Maybe they could all stay here in California and be a family. Dean could have his own mechanic shop and he could help him while Sam and Ben went to school. The only problem was that Dad was missing.

Dad could need help, so they needed to find him. He knew Dad would be mad that he'd lost his hearing, and he'd be even more mad if they decided to stop hunting, but they needed to find him and make sure he was ok.

Max tugged on his hand until he looked over at her, and then she asked, 'You ok?'

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," Alec said.

'About…' Max pushed.

"Lots of things," Alec said. Max huffed, which made him smile. "I really like the ocean," he said. "Ben knows that, and he's trying to make me feel better."

'Is it working?' Max asked.

"Yeah, I think it is," Alec said.

They walked down the beach for a long time, hand in hand. And thankfully, Max knew when he was starting to get too tired to walk much further, and she brought him over to where Dean was sitting on a blanket. His brother and Max helped him sit down before Max went over to where Ben, Sam, and Jess were throwing a Frisbee back and forth.

"No Frisbee for you?" Alec asked, trying to keep his pain hidden from Dean. But he could tell Dean already knew. His brother was looking at him in concern, and he wasn't sure if it was because of his side or because of his hearing.

'Nah,' Dean said. 'I'm good here.'

"Dean…"

'Yeah?' Dean asked back.

"If we can't find a way to fix my hearing…um…never mind," Alec said.

'Talk to me,' Dean said. 'I can't fix it if I don't know what the problem is.'

"I can't hunt like this, we both know that," Alec said. "I just…I don't…are you gonna take off without me?"

'No Alec, I'm not gonna take off without you,' Dean reassured. 'If I can't find a way to get your hearing back, then we're done with hunting. I don't care what Dad says about it when we find him. And we're sticking together, ok? We're staying in California with Sam and Ben, and we'll just figure out what we'll do down here.'

He actually felt dizzy at the relief that brought on. Everything was going to be ok. His family wasn't going to ditch him even though he couldn't hear. He turned and hugged his brother even though his side hurt when he did that. "I'm sorry I haven't been eating much, but I'll eat more and I'll try to argue less and I can still work somewhere even though I can't hear, so I can still help make money."

Dean just held him closer and rubbed his back. He might have been talking to him, but he really didn't know. He hugged Dean for a few more seconds before his side started hurting too much, so he released him and sat back again.

'We'll figure everything out,' Dean said when he was looking at him again. 'We can hit up a hospital in a couple days to see if they can do anything for your hearing, and then we'll find Dad.'

He nodded, but then admitted, "My side's killing me…"

'Ok, I'm gonna take you back to Sam's place,' Dean said, slowly standing up. His brother helped him stand, and then helped him back over to the Impala. He laid down in the backseat and fell asleep before Dean even started the engine.

* * *

He tried every phone that Dad had, but there was no getting through to the man. He thought about leaving a message for him about Alec's hearing, but he knew that was a conversation that they needed to have face to face. He wished Dad would just call him back since he was way in over his head here. He didn't know how to help Alec, and that was killing him.

"Hey."

He looked up in surprise to see Jess coming out of her and Sam's room. "Hey," he replied.

"You know, we can get another air mattress," Jess said as she walked to the kitchen.

"I'm good," Dean said. He was sitting on the floor in front of Alec just in case he needed something when he woke up. He'd move to the chair after a little while, he just wanted to make sure Alec was ok.

"Is Alec ok?" Jess asked. She grabbed a cup and filled it with water before she brought it over to him.

"Thanks," Dean said. "And he's doing ok. The trip to the beach wore him out, but I think it was good."

"Are you ok?" Jess asked, looking at him knowingly.

"I can't get ahold of my Dad," Dean admitted. "And I can't help my little brother. I was supposed to protect him, and I can't change what happened to him. And I don't know if any doctor's gonna be able to help him either…"

"We won't know until we go find someone, right?" Jess said. "There's still a chance, and Alec won't give up hope until you give up hope."

He nodded, but said, "I still wish I could get ahold of my Dad…he'd know what to do."

"Dean, you're doing what you can and I don't think your Dad would know anything else to do," Jess said. "Sometimes things just happen that are out of your control."

"And doesn't that just suck," Dean muttered. "But why'd it have to happen to Alec? He's had enough shit happen to him already."

"Sam told me what happened," Jess said. "But from what I've seen, this won't break him. He's going to be ok even if his hearing is permanently gone because he has his family. Everything's going to be ok Dean."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it," Dean said.

* * *

 _More soon..._


	41. Chapter 41

'We'll have to start thinking about getting our own place,' Dean signed. 'This one's a little small for all of us to keep staying here.'

'I don't want to move too far,' Alec signed back.

'That's fine, but we still have a money issue,' Dean signed. 'We'll have to go wherever we can afford.'

'I'm pretty much back to 100% except for my hearing, so we can get jobs again, and then get a place once we have some money saved up,' Alec signed.

'Where should we work?' Dean asked.

'We're going to work together?' Alec asked back, surprised.

'Unless you don't want to,' Dean signed.

'No, I want to,' Alec replied. 'Can Max still live with us?'

'Where else would she live?' Dean asked with a small smile. Alec smiled too, so he reached out and gently ruffled his little brother's hair.

It'd been almost a month, so Alec's gunshot wound was better. He still got dizzy sometimes, and part of it was because of the head injury, but he was doing a lot better. They'd taken him to see a doctor who said it was a combination of the blast and the head injury that had caused Alec to lose his hearing. They didn't think his hearing would ever come back because of it, but they said there could still be a chance. But they'd gotten some answers, and even though they weren't encouraging answers, it was better to know for sure. Alec was deaf now, but he seemed to be dealing with it for the most part.

But now that Alec was healed up, they should probably find a place to actually live. Alec slept with Ben while Max still slept on the air mattress, so he slept on the sofa every night. It wasn't great, and he knew Alec and Ben still wanted to stay together, but he thought maybe they could figure something out. Ben could live with them too if he wanted, and that way Jess and Sam could have the place to themselves, but he didn't know how well that was going to go over.

Alec winced suddenly, so he reached out to squeeze Alec's shoulder. 'You ok?'

'Head's starting to hurt again,' Alec signed.

'You going to be ok to go to this school thing tonight?' Dean asked. 'Because we can skip it if you want to.'

Alec smiled, 'It sounds like you want to skip it.'

'Like I really want to meet a bunch of nerds from Sam's school,' Dean signed.

'I just want to go for the food,' Alec signed.

He stood up and walked over to get his jacket and his keys before he signed, 'I have to go pick up Max and Jess from the mall. Do you want to go, or do you want to nap for a bit, and then walk over to the school?'

'Second option,' Alec replied. 'I'm going to need a nap to make it through tonight.'

'Hey, me or Ben will be with you the whole time,' Dean signed. 'I know it gives you a headache to try to figure out what people are saying, but we can sign to you which will make it easier.'

'A nap will still help,' Alec signed. 'But I'm going to have a massive headache by the end of tonight.'

'We'll have two cars there, so we can leave whenever you want,' Dean signed.

'Ok,' Alec signed as he carefully stretched out on the sofa and got a little more comfortable.

He grabbed the blanket from the back and covered Alec with it. 'Just try to be there by six,' Dean signed. 'I don't want to be stuck there making small talk by myself.'

Alec just nodded, and then fell asleep. He grabbed his little brother's phone and made sure it was on vibrate before he put it next to Alec on the sofa. He brushed Alec's hair back and made sure the blanket was pulled up, and then left the apartment.

Sam and Ben were already at the school, helping one of their friends set thing up for whatever nerd party was happening tonight. He really didn't want to go, but he could tell that Sam and Ben wanted him and Alec there. He didn't know why they wanted them there, but he couldn't say no to any of his brothers lately. So, he agreed to go to the party at least for a little while. He would stay near Alec and help him if he needed it.

Alec had a hard time figuring out what was going on if more than one person was talking at a time. He could read lips, but only if he was looking at that person. If there was more than one, then it was almost impossible for him to follow the conversation. Plus, trying to keep up with everything made his headache even worse than it already was. His little brother almost always had a headache, but it was worse when he had to read lips, which would make tonight hard on him. Hopefully the nap would help.

He got his new phone out of his pocket as he got in his car and dialed Jess's number. "Hey Dean," Jess said.

"Hey, I'm on my way to you," Dean said.

"Perfect, I think me and Max are just about done," Jess said.

"Sam and Ben already left for the school," Dean said. "Is that where we're headed next or…"

"Is Alec with you?" Jess asked instead of answering.

"No, he's gonna take a nap, and then walk over when it's time," Dean said.

"Ok, then we'll need to go over to Megan's house to get ready," Jess said.

"Alright, be there soon," Dean said before he hung up.

* * *

"Hey, where's Alec?" Sam asked as he, Jess, and Max walked into the party.

"He's taking a nap," Dean said. "He'll probably text me when he's leaving your place."

"I know you don't like these kind of things, but thanks for coming," Sam said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, Alec said there would probably be food," Dean teased.

Sam laughed and nodded, motioning over to the table full of food, "He wasn't wrong."

"But once he gets here, I'm not sure how long we're staying," Dean said.

"His head still hurting?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, and pretending he's fine just makes it worse," Dean muttered.

"Well, until he gets here, how 'bout you meet some of my friends? Ben's over there now…" Sam said.

He shrugged and followed Sam over to the group that Ben was talking to. He didn't really want to meet Sam's friends, but there wasn't a lot to do until Alec got there anyway, so he'd play along. Besides, he and Alec were going to stick around, so it would probably be good to get to know some people.

But most of them weren't the type he would normally hang out with. They were all so focused on school and learning…they were definitely Sam's friends. Ben seemed fairly comfortable around them too, which was a rare thing for his little brother. Ben didn't make friends like Alec did; Alec could always get a game going when they stopped at the playground when they were little, and Ben would play too as long as Alec was playing. But if Alec was hurt, then Ben would just play by himself on the swings or try to talk him into playing. He wouldn't go out to try to make his own friends if Alec wasn't around.

Ben's face fell slightly when he looked over at him and didn't see his twin standing next to him. He gave Ben a small smile to let him know Alec was still planning on coming, it was just going to be a little bit.

So, he made small talk and listened to the problems that college students seemed to have, which didn't seem like real problems to him. They worried about their grades and what job they were going to get, while he worried about his little brother's hearing, where his Dad was, and if he should tell Max and Jess the truth about their lives.

It was almost two hours later when Alec did finally show up. He still looked tired, but he smiled when he saw them and immediately walked over.

'How's your head?' Dean signed.

Alec looked over at Sam and Ben's friends self-consciously before he whispered, "It's fine. The nap helped."

"We don't have to stay long," Dean said out loud. He knew this was going to be hard on Alec, but he hadn't thought his little brother would be embarrassed about not being able to hear. Alec signed so easily to them while they were at Sam's place, and he and Ben always signed to each other even when Alec could hear, so he didn't think it would bother Alec. But this was the first time besides going to the doctor that they'd gone out in public, so he didn't actually know how Alec was going to do.

Alec looked away from him and looked around the room instead. He knew Alec was looking for the exits and counting how many people were in the room since he did that everywhere they went. Ben did the same thing since that was how they were trained, and they were always worried that Manticore could show up at any time and attack, so they needed to know all the exits in case they needed them.

He put his hand on Alec's shoulder to get his attention, and then asked, "Do you want to meet some of their friends?"

Alec thought for a second, but then slowly shook his head no, "I'm just going to go find Max…"

"Ok," Dean said. "Just come find me when you want to leave, ok?"

"Tell Ben I'm sorry," Alec whispered.

"He'll understand," Dean reassured.

Alec nodded once before he disappeared in the crowd. "Is he ok?" Ben asked, walking over once Alec had disappeared.

"I think he's embarrassed," Dean said. "I signed to him, but he looked around to see if anyone noticed."

Ben frowned, "Alec doesn't get embarrassed."

"Ben…this is still new for him. He's adjusted around us, but this is the first time he's really been around other people," Dean said.

"Maybe I could still give him blood," Ben said. "I could give him a transfusion and maybe that'll help his hearing."

"We could try it, but I don't know if that's going to work," Dean said. "He might actually be deaf, Ben, and there might not be anything we can do."

"I know, but we should at least try," Ben said. "It won't hurt to try."

* * *

Max looked up in surprise when a gentle touch landed on her shoulder. She immediately smiled when she saw Alec, but she could tell something was bothering him.

"Jess, we're gonna take a walk," Max said, looking back at the older girl to make sure she heard her. She didn't want her to think she was ditching her since she'd been nice enough to hang out with her all afternoon and she felt like an older sister to her, but Alec needed her, so she was going to help him however she could. Jess smiled back at them and nodded, so she grabbed Alec's hand and led him out of the room. Surprisingly he went willingly with her and he didn't argue about her dragging him along like he used to.

She walked outside into the cool night air and just held Alec's hand as they walked around the school.

Alec was the one who broke the silence after they had been walking for a while. He cleared his throat, and then said, "You…um, you look…clean." He blushed after he said that, which made her smile. She liked it when he blushed since he didn't do it very often and she always thought he looked cute when he did.

She made sure he was looking at her before she said, "You look clean too."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "That sounded really stupid, huh?"

"Probably not your best pickup line," Max said with a teasing smile. Alec's eyes widened, which just made her laugh again. She squeezed Alec's hand and started walking again. Alec tentatively intertwined their fingers, and she looked over at him to see that he was already looking at her as if to see if that was ok. She brought his hand up and kissed his knuckles, and then walked a little closer to him.

She really liked being with the Winchesters, but she couldn't deny that Alec was her favorite. Even when he annoyed her, he still ended up making her laugh. And now that he couldn't hear, he didn't talk as much, and as much as she used to tell him to shut up, she wished she could take it all back and let him talk her ear off. She missed hearing his voice all the time.

He tensed suddenly, and normally she would think he heard something but now she wasn't sure what was wrong. She looked around, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She looked back to Alec but saw that he had his phone out and was actually calling someone.

"Dean, I think something's wrong. We're on the west side of the building. I don't know what it is, but I have a bad feeling and I only have a knife on me," Alec said. He hung up and scanned the area again. She could tell he wished he could still hear, but she still didn't hear or see anything.

The attack came out of nowhere. Alec shoved her out of the way, which just pissed her off, and swung a knife at a man. A man with fangs, claws, and yellow eyes… The man snarled when Alec managed to slice his arm with the knife. The man's arm burned where the knife cut him, but really it looked like it just made him angry.

She spun around when she heard another snarl and saw a woman with the same unbelievable features of the man. She kicked at the woman's head, but found she was able to move out of the way fast enough. She thought maybe these two could be bad batches of Manticore experiments, but she'd never known of anyone who would burn at the touch of a knife. But she couldn't think of any better explanation. She would just have to adjust her fighting style and go from there.

She faced off against the woman again, but froze when she heard Alec's cry of pain.

* * *

He'd started looking for Sam and Jess as soon as his phone started ringing and he saw that it was Alec. His little brother would only call if it was an emergency since he couldn't hear what was being said. He answered though and listened to Alec's calm voice tell him something was wrong.

"Go find Sam," Dean said to Ben once Alec hung up. "Tell him to get the Impala as close to the west side of this building as he can and bring some guns. Then meet me outside."

Ben nodded without arguing or asking any questions since he knew this was serious. He took off running for the exit before Ben was even done nodding. Alec was outside, deaf, and with something or someone after him. He needed to get there as soon as he could even though he knew Max was out there with him. If it was Manticore, then he knew Alec and Max could manage until he got there. If it was something supernatural, then he didn't know how this was going to go.

He sprinted outside, but then had to take a second to look around for his little brother. He heard him before he saw him, which wasn't a good sign. He took off in the direction of Alec's cry of pain and got there just in time to see him hit the side of the building hard, the back of his head hitting the brick with a sickening thud.

It took him less than a second to figure out it was werewolves attacking Alec and Max. He drew his gun and shot one of the werewolves getting too close to Alec, thankful that he had silver bullets in his clip right now. It was a little early in the night for them to be out, but it was a full moon, so they could hunt at any time.

His shot drew the attention of the female werewolf that was facing off against Max and the other werewolf that he hadn't shot yet.

"Check on him!" Dean yelled to Max before he took off for the parking lot. He knew he couldn't outrun a werewolf, but he didn't need to outrun them for long. Right on time, the Impala screeched to a halt about ten feet from him and both of his brothers got out with guns aimed at the two chasing him. "Werewolves," Dean said just to make sure Sam and Ben knew they would need silver bullets. He hoped they already had them ready, but if they didn't, then he could figure something else out.

Two gunshot fired in quick succession, hitting both werewolves right in the heart.

"Alec's hurt," Dean said.

The three of them started back the way he'd come, but he stopped when he heard the backdoor to the Impala open and close. Jess got out of the backseat looking slightly shocked, but also determined. He looked over at Sam who nodded back to him that this was ok, so he jogged back to his little brother.

Max was kneeling beside Alec, pressing hard against his side, his blood leaking through her fingers. Alec was still out, and he could see there was already a puddle of blood beneath him. He stowed his gun away and dropped down next to Alec to try to see how much damage had been done. Max had both of her hands press against his left side, below his ribs, where most of the blood was coming from. He saw more scratches on his right side that were deep enough that he could see the white bone of his ribs.

He checked Alec's pulse and his breathing, which neither were great, but he was still hanging on. He pressed against Alec's right side, trying not to think about the feel of his brother's ribs beneath his hands.

"Ben, run back to the Impala and grab some gauze," Dean said. He looked over at Sam and said, "We'll have to patch him up at your place, but we need to get rid of the bodies…"

"I'll get rid of them," Sam said.

"I'll help," Max threw in.

"Ok, once Ben's back we'll head to your place," Dean said. He looked over at Jess and asked, "You ok with blood?"

"Yes," Jess whispered.

"Ben sucks at helping me when Alec's the one who's hurt, so I'll need your help," Dean said.

"Ok," Jess said.

"I'll go start moving the two that are out in the open," Sam said.

"Jess, take Max's spot so she can help Sam," Dean said. Max reluctantly moved once Jess was there, so he said, "You have to press hard. It'll be easier once Ben gets back, but don't worry about hurting him because he's already hurt, ok?" Jess nodded and pressed harder against Alec's side. "He's going to be ok," Dean reassured. "I'm just going to stitch him up and Ben will give him some blood. His body should be able to heal itself, but I've gotta stitch him up before he can start healing."

"Here's some gauze," Ben said. "I tried to move the Impala closer, but there's no way back here without damaging the car…"

"That's ok. I don't think he's wakin' up for a while, so it won't hurt him too much to be carried," Dean said. "I'm gonna get his shirt off of him, and then lift him up slightly so you and Jess can wrap his side as tight as you can, ok?"

Ben looked like he didn't want to nod in agreement, but he did after a moment. He used his pocket knife to slice through Alec's shirt, and then carefully lifted his shoulders, keeping his little brother's head against his shoulder, so Ben and Jess could keep him from bleeding out.

"Sam!" Dean called out as he got his arms under Alec's knees and shoulders.

"We're good," Sam yelled back. "We'll be at the apartment soon. Just worry about Alec."

"Ben, you sit with him," Dean said as they walked back to the Impala. Ben ran ahead to open the backdoor and slid in, so he could help get Alec into the car. "Keep pressure against his left side since that's where he's losing the most blood."

Ben nodded and carefully settled Alec on his lap before he pressed hard against Alec's left side. He and Jess both got in, and then he floored it out of the parking lot.

"You ok?" He asked, glancing over at Jess.

"Trying to be," Jess replied honestly, giving him a small smile. "You guys just seem so used to this…And I'm still freaking out a little over what happened by the car…"

"I'm gonna explain everything, I will, but right now I have to focus on Alec," Dean said.

"I know," Jess said. "And I'll help as much as I can."

"Alec's still gonna lose a lot of blood," Dean said. "I'll stitch him up as fast as I can, but it might not be fast enough. If he starts coughing up blood…then we're gonna have a real problem."

"Dean you just have to get the worst part stitched, and then I can start giving him blood," Ben said. "If I give him blood fast enough, then he can start healing himself before it gets bad enough for a hospital."

He hoped Ben was right since he really didn't want to take Alec to the hospital, but he would if he had to. He would do anything to make sure his brothers stayed alive.

* * *

She ran ahead to get the door for Dean as he carried Alec inside. She frowned though when Dean headed for the kitchen instead of the sofa, and gently laid Alec down on the tile floor.

"Dean…"

"I…um, I didn't think you'd want blood on the sofa or the carpet…" Dean muttered.

"I don't care about the carpet," Jess said. "I just want him to be comfortable."

"It'll be easier to clean up the kitchen and there's better light in here," Dean said.

She could tell arguing with Dean would be pointless right now, but she could still help him. "Ok…what do you need me to get?" Jess asked.

"Rubbing alcohol, warm water, clean towels, and any bandages you have," Dean said. "Ben's bringing up the first aid kit and some of the supplies we've managed to get."

She nodded and ran through the apartment to get what Dean had asked for before she ran back. When she started dating Sam, she knew he had secrets, and she knew he'd been through a lot, but she never imagined that she'd be doing this. She never imagined she'd be helping stitch up her boyfriend's little brother on her kitchen floor after her boyfriend and his other little brother just shot two people.

She shook her head to focus again. She could freak out later, right now she needed to help Dean as much as she could.

"I have to clean these out," Dean said. "You press the towel on his right side while I work on his left, ok?" She nodded, but Dean looked up at her and she realized he had been focused on Alec, so he didn't see her. "Jess?"

"I'm ok," Jess whispered. She grabbed the towel to prove to Dean that she could do this and pressed it against Alec's side. She huffed out a laugh, making Dean look up at her again. He probably thought she was losing it, and maybe she was. "Um, Sam told me not to get light colored towels," she said to try to explain. "I guess he was right." The light blue towel she had pressed against Alec's side was instantly stained red.

Dean smiled a little but looked back at Alec, and then said, "I guess Sam was trying to warn you. I'm sorry we dragged you into this…we should've found another-"

"Dean, I'm not sorry," Jess interrupted. "I glad I finally know more of what's going on even though I still don't know everything. I love Sam and I love your family, so I'm not going anywhere."

"Dean, I need help getting the needle in my arm," Ben said, coming out of the bathroom with an empty blood bag in one hand and the needle in the other. He had something tied up around his bicep and his shirt sleeve was rolled up above his elbow.

"C'mere," Dean said, motioning Ben closer. Ben walked over and held out his arm for Dean to help him. "You need to stay in here, so I can keep an eye on you," Dean said as he carefully inserted the needle. "And you need to sit down because I don't want you passing out on me."

Ben just nodded and slowly sat down next to Alec's head.

Ben and Dean stayed quiet the rest of the time. Dean stitched up all of the cuts, making sure each one was perfect before he put something on the cuts, and then wrapped them. He checked Alec's head last, but he'd said he didn't need stitches for the cut but that he definitely had a concussion. He picked Alec up again once he was done and gently laid him on the sofa before he covered him with a blanket.

Ben handed Dean the bag that was full of blood now, and then went to the first aid kit and pulled out another one that was empty.

"No Ben," Dean said. "You're only giving one bag. You know the rules." Dean rigged up a wire hanger and hung the bag of blood on the lamp next to the sofa. He got a new needle and put it in Alec's arm before he got it set up to the blood bag. Hopefully this really would help Alec like Ben and Dean thought it would.

"I can give him a little more," Ben argued.

"No, you can't," Dean growled. "If he needs more blood, then I'll have Max give him some when she gets back. But this should help him, it should be enough for him to start healing himself." Dean checked Alec's head again, and checked his pupils before he got up and walked over to the first aid kit again.

"Dean-"

"You should just sit with him until he wakes up," Dean said. He looked up at her after a moment, and said, "Jess, he needs more blankets and if you have a little heater, then that will help. I'm going to make up an IV for him to try to help keep off the shock. Surprisingly, his lung didn't collapse, and he didn't start coughing up blood, so shock's the next thing we have to worry about."

Jess nodded, still trying not to be shocked that Dean knew all of this and ran to get more blankets. Alec looked like he was just sleeping once she covered him with a few more blankets, but she knew he wasn't just sleeping. Ben sat down on the edge of the sofa and grabbed Alec's limp hand with both of his. He rubbed Alec's fingers to try to help get them to warm up again.

"Dean…how long do you think before he wakes up?" Jess asked.

"I don't know," Dean said from the kitchen. "He hit the wall pretty hard, so it could be a while."

"What if he doesn't wake up?" Ben asked.

"If he doesn't wake up after he gets more blood, then we'll go find a hospital," Dean said. "But we'll give him a chance to recover before we do that."

"Do you think he needs more oxygen? His fingernails are blue," Ben said.

"I texted Sam to get some if he could," Dean said. "If he can't then we'll just have to keep an eye on him."

"So, we just wait until Sam and Max get back?" Jess asked.

Dean nodded but checked his phone to see if he had any messages. "Once they get here we can talk about what all happened," Dean said.

* * *

He felt like his side was on fire and that his head might actually explode. His head hurt the most, but at least he was starting to come back around since he could feel pain again. He took a quick stock of his injuries and decided that he'd live, he'd just be stuck on the sofa for a while again.

His eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet when he _heard_ the door open, two sets of footsteps, and then the door closed. He collapsed once he was on his feet, and he had to cover his ears because everyone was talking and yelling at once. He heard his name yelled a few times and Dean was next to him trying to get him to open his eyes, but it hurt. Every sound hurt because it was all so loud to him. Somehow he'd gotten used to not hearing, so suddenly being able to hear again was seriously painful.

Everyone settled down after a few minutes until it was just Dean next to him, gently tapping his cheek to try to get him to focus and open his eyes.

"P-please don't yell," Alec whispered, wincing at hearing his own voice. "But I can hear again, and it hurts…"

Dean's hands froze, but his brother quickly shook himself and whispered, "You can hear what I'm saying right now?"

"Yes," Alec breathed.

"Ok, try to open your eyes for me," Dean said softly.

"Everything hurts," Alec admitted.

"That's because you jumped up and collapsed after losing a ton of blood and bashing your head against a wall," Dean gently teased. "And you tore my stitches that I just put in, so you need to open your eyes so we can talk and get you patched up again."

"Dean," Jess whispered, running over to them. "Try putting this in his ears. It might help muffle things."

"Thanks Jess," Dean said in surprise. "Don't hit me, ok kiddo?" He nodded and let Dean move his hand from his right ear before something soft was put in his ear. "I'm putting some cotton in your ears," Dean explained. "We're hoping this helps…" He let Dean move his other hand and put cotton in that ear as well, thankfully muffling things a little bit for him. He slowly opened his eyes, looking around to make sure they were really at Sam's place like he thought they were. "Is that better?" Dean asked, his voice not as loud as it had been. He nodded again, but then looked down at his side to see blood staining bandages that were wrapped around him. "I told you that you tore my stitches," Dean said with a small smile.

Tears filled his eyes suddenly since he could actually hear again. He didn't think he was ever going to be able to hear his brother's voice again, or anything again. Dean held him close, knowing he needed some help right now.

"Everything's ok," Dean gently soothed, rubbing his back. "You're ok." He just cried harder since it felt like it'd been so long since he'd heard anyone try to comfort him. He knew he was getting hysterical, but he couldn't help it. He'd felt so alone without his hearing, and he worried all the time about what Dad was going to say about it, but now he didn't have to worry about any of that. He didn't have to worry about losing his brothers now either because he could stay with them and he could hunt. He knew Dean would've quit hunting for him, but he didn't want to stop helping people. "Hey, I need you to try to take a deep breath, ok?" Dean said, pulling back a little so he could wipe away his tears. "I still gotta get you patched up…again."

He choked out a laugh and nodded his ok. His head was still pounding, way more than his usual headache, but his sides were starting to ache again too. He'd forgotten about the pain as soon as he'd heard the door open.

"Alec?" Ben asked hesitantly.

Fresh tears fell, and it was getting harder to breathe because he was starting to feel overwhelmed again. And a little lightheaded… He jumped when something was suddenly being put over his nose and mouth, but Dean quickly reassured, "It's just oxygen Alec. You need it, ok, so don't touch it." Dean easily maneuvered him onto his back, so he was laying flat on the floor, and then gently grabbed his right arm to wrap a bandage around the fresh blood that was coming from the inside of his elbow. "You tore out the needle when you jumped off the sofa," Dean explained. Dean reached up and grabbed the pillow from the sofa before he carefully lifted his head and slid the pillow under. "Just relax and try to take deep breaths, ok? I'll patch you up, and then we'll all talk."

He tried to relax and breathe like Dean said, but he couldn't help looking around. Embarrassment heated his cheeks when he realized everyone was here. Everyone had seen his freak out and they were seeing how pathetic and weak he was.

"Hey," Dean said, getting his attention again. "You can't relax if you keep thinking."

"Dean…how come my hearing's back?" Alec asked, even though Dean probably didn't know. But his big brother always knew what to do, so it couldn't hurt to ask.

"I don't know Alec," Dean replied honestly. "But you hit your head again, so maybe that did something. Or maybe it was the blood that Ben gave you. Maybe you just needed a little help healing and it worked."

He nodded since that made sense and he didn't have any other explanation for it. "What happened?" he asked in confusion. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know how he tore up his sides or how he hit his head again.

"We were at the school, remember?" Dean asked to try to jog his memory.

"Kind of…" Alec muttered. "Werewolves?"

"Yeah," Dean said, glancing over to where everyone else was standing.

"Shit…I shouldn't have said that…I'm sorry," he said miserably.

"We were gonna tell them anyway," Dean reassured. "They saw us kill them and I'm pretty sure Max saw their fangs at least, so maybe it won't be so hard to explain." Dean carefully unwrapped his side and pulled out the broken stitches. His eyes started to close, but he forced himself to wake up again. "Hey, you can rest," Dean said softly. "I'll wake you up once it's time to talk, ok?"

"Ok…" Alec mumbled. His eyes closed again, and he dozed off for a while.

He startled awake a while later, but he was on the sofa now, his head was resting in Max's lap, his legs were across Ben's legs, and Sam, Dean, and Jess were all sitting around the room.

"Hey," Max said with a small smile when she saw that he was awake. He blinked a few times since he had been pretty sure he wouldn't be able to hear again when he woke up, but he could still hear. He reached up to take off the oxygen mask, but Max stopped him before he could. "Dean said that needed to stay on."

He looked over at his older brother and tried to glare, but his head was hurting too much to pull it off. He relaxed again when Max started running her fingers through his hair. That felt pretty nice and it made his headache go down some.

"You ok to talk for a bit?" Dean asked. "You don't have to say anything, but I figured you'd want us to wait until you were awake again before we talked about what all happened…"

He nodded since it was taking a lot of energy to just stay awake. He was glad they were going to tell Jess and Max about the supernatural, he just hoped they would believe them and wouldn't have too many questions.

"Back at the school, those people we killed weren't people," Sam said. "They were werewolves."

"Werewolves are real, and so are just about any monster you can think of," Dean said. "And we hunt them."

"Sam and Dean have hunted for most of their lives, and me and Alec started once we were out of Manticore," Ben said.

"Dad started looking for the thing that killed our Mom while he was looking for Ben and Alec," Dean said. "He learned about the supernatural as he went, and we started hunting down any evil thing we could."

"So that's where all the scars came from?" Jess asked Sam.

"Most of them," Sam said. "Some we got because of Manticore trying to take Ben and Alec."

"And you just moved around looking for more things to hunt?" Max asked.

He nodded and took off the oxygen mask even though he wasn't supposed to, "It was too hard to stay in one place for long anyway, and if Dad found a hunt, then we would go."

"Is that why you think your Dad is missing?" Jess asked.

"He wouldn't go this long without checking on us, especially after the messages I left for him," Dean said.

"So, what do we do next?" Max asked.

"You believe us?" Sam asked in surprise.

"I saw those things with my own eyes," Max said. "They were just as strong and just as fast as me, but they had fangs and claws, and I've never seen a transgenic's skin burn because of a knife."

"And I know you two," Jess said, looking at Sam and Ben. "You wouldn't kill someone for no reason. I can't really imagine you killing anyone ever, but I saw it happen, and I knew there had to be a reason for it. So, where do we go from here?"

"We've gotta find our Dad," Dean said. "Me and Alec can go out once he's healed up-"

"We're not spitting up," Ben cut off. "Me and Sam are coming with you."

"I think you forgot a couple people in your count," Max said. "Me and Jess are coming too."

"No," Dean stated at the same time Sam said, "It's too dangerous."

"So, teach us how to hunt," Max said. "We can learn, and we can help."

"Jess-"

"I'm part of your family now," Jess said before Sam could say anything else. "I'm not leaving, and neither is Max."

"Jess…it's a painful life," Alec said. He didn't want to see her hurt or Max. "We stitch each other up all the time."

"And we live out of motels," Ben added. "We don't stay anywhere for very long…"

"And it's not the most legal profession," Dean said. "We have to do some sketchy shit just to get by."

Jess was quiet as she thought about it for a minute. "I know I don't know anything about hunting, but I can learn. And I can help out in other ways. But if you think for one second that I won't follow you, then you're wrong," Jess said. "So, it'll be easier to just teach me than to have me following you all the time and doing it on my own."

"Sam, we wanted to tell them," Dean said. "I was expecting Max to go with me and Alec anyway, and Jess kept a cool head the whole time she helped me patch up Alec. I think she should come with us."

"Me too," Ben said.

"Yeah, me too," Alec said. "Besides, Sam would be a wreck if Jess didn't come with us and we would all be messed up if Sam stayed here with her, so we should all just go together."

"I agree Jess should come too," Max said. "Because it would be a disaster if it was just me with all of you. I need a sister in all of this."

They all looked to Sam since he still hadn't said anything. But he slowly nodded and said, "Ok, we all go together."

* * *

He winced as he slowly sat up and tried to breathe through the pain. His head still hurt the most, but his brothers had decided he could be off of the oxygen and off of fluids, which to him meant that he could be off of the sofa. They were packing up anyway, so he should at least help a little bit.

"Get your ass back on the sofa," Dean said, walking back in just as he pushed himself up. He didn't need Dean to tell him to get back on the sofa since his legs gave out a moment later. "I told you that I'd help you to the car once it was time to go…"

"I can help," Alec said.

"I know you can," Dean said. "But let's take it easy, ok? You've only been recovering for two days…I still think we should stick around a little while longer…"

"And I think we need to start looking for Dad," Alec said. "He's been missing for too long already…"

"Hey, I already agreed to looking for Dad," Dean said. "The least you could do is agree to stay on the sofa until we have the cars all packed."

"I told you he was gonna try to get up," Ben said, carrying a duffle bag out of his room.

"Are you done packing yet?" Dean asked instead of agreeing.

"I'm getting there," Ben grumbled.

"Hurry up. I wanna leave before sundown," Dean said. Ben rolled his eyes, which made him laugh, but he stopped when Dean looked his way and raised his eyebrows. "Since you're feelin' so good, I guess you can eat some soup before we go," Dean said. It was his turn to roll his eyes, but that just made his brother smile as he got up to make the soup. "It's gonna be to-go, so you better not puke in my car…"

"Whatever," Alec muttered.

"Hey, we ready?" Sam asked as he ran in.

"Ben's still packing and Alec's gonna try to eat some soup," Dean said.

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised. "You're gonna actually eat soup."

"Shut up," Alec said. "I want off this sofa, so I'm gonna eat some soup…"

Dean brought him some soup a few minutes later, and then started to check his head and his sides as he slowly ate it. He wanted to push Dean's hands away, but he knew he was going to get checked over either way, so he might as well just let it happen.

"I'm gonna miss this place," Sam said.

"Y'know, it could still just be me, Alec, Ben, and Max," Dean said. "You and Jess could still stay here. Give us a home base kinda thing if we need it."

"Dean, we split up once. I don't want to do it again," Sam said.

"I'm not splitting up," Ben yelled from his room.

"We're not splitting up," Dean yelled back.

"Hey, volume," Alec grumbled. He still needed cotton in his ears since they were still sensitive, but he thought they were slowly getting better. With time he hoped they would get back to 100%, but he was just happy he could hear again period.

"Sorry Alec," Dean said.

"It's ok," Alec said.

"We ready or what?" Max asked impatiently as she walked in with Jess behind her. "I thought we were leaving today."

"Alec needed something to eat before we left and Ben's dragging his feet," Dean said.

"I'm done, so we can go," Alec said.

"Few more bites," Dean said.

"Do you want me to throw up or not," Alec challenged.

"Fine," Dean said with a sigh as he took the bowl from him. "Do you all have everything?"

"We're ready," Jess said.

"I'll help Alec to the car, and then we'll head out," Dean said.

Thankfully Dean let everyone else leave the apartment before he helped him up. He blacked out for a minute, but Dean kept him standing until he could get the room back into focus. He nearly passed out a few more times on the way down the stairs, but then they were in the Impala, and he was laying down again with his legs over Ben's lap and a pillow under his head.

"Thought you'd ride up front," Alec said.

"Sam's up front," Ben said. He frowned in confusion since he thought Sam would drive Jess's car. "Jess told Sam that it was girl time in her car and told him he had to ride in the Impala."

He chuckled and said, "Good. It'll be nice to just be us for a little bit."

"You guys ready?" Dean asked, turning around to look at them both.

They both nodded, so Sam said, "Good. We've got work to do."

* * *

 _The End._


End file.
